The Worlds Before Us
by Lady Morningdew
Summary: Sophy Alkaev-Shaderock has found a steady new life studying at Hogwarts alongside Harry Potter and his friends. When a strange incident brings a team of strangers to the Hogwarts grounds, Sophy is pulled, head over heels, into an extraordinary new world. Can Sophy balance the growing weight of two unique worlds and find the courage to face her turbulent past at the same time?
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: All characters, settings, or other story components taken from the Harry Potter, Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Heroes of Olympus, or Trials of Apollo series belong to JK Rowling and Rick Riordan, respectively. I do not own any of the aforementioned. I do not intend to use this story commercially.

A/N: Hello! Thank you for choosing to read this story. While this is only the prologue, I have the entire story written and will publish it in installments (one chapter at a time). I will try to get the next chapter published by next weekend, the 22 of April. Warning: This chapter contains spoilers for the beginning of the Philosopher's Stone (Harry Potter). Later chapters will include spoilers as far as the Blood of Olympus (Percy Jackson) and the Half-Blood Prince (Harry Potter). Please read and review!

Sunlight filters through my curtain, sending a brilliant stroke of gold onto my eyelids. With a moan, I roll over - and thump! I'm on the floor, tangled in my sheets. Within a heartbeat, a warm, heavy shape settles itself on my stomach and begins giving me a free face wash. Blinking the sleep out of my eyes, I wriggle away.

"Liliya! Liliya, no! Stop it!" I giggle, pushing my favorite pet off of me. Cracking my eyes open fully, I shriek and scramble backwards, cursing Liliya's favorite habit of planting her face inches from my own - a habit that fills my vision with a wet nose, clever brown eyes, and the overwhelmingly large teeth of a juvenile canine. Go figure.

"Argh." I yawn, dragging myself into a sitting position, kicking my legs to free them from my sheets. Liliya is sitting patiently, displaying the lovely talents of a fully trained, _usually_ behaving East-European Shepherd. _Usually_ behaving, mind you _._ "Good morning, Liliya," I say in Russian, my first language. She yaps in response, wriggling with the recognition of her name.

I laugh, ruffling up her sandy fur, and struggle to my feet. She wiggles and blinks up at me with her happy, mischievous eyes. Almost immediately, a flashback surges up around me.

 _I tramp through the forest - my forest. I reckon that I'm the only person in town who can find her way - or even_ his _way - around. It takes real talent to keep to one's course when travelling around the massive trees and hills of the woods. The forest has become my only escape, since Мама died and Отец - my father - never even stayed around. I'd rather stumble around in a wilderness full of giant trees and tangling undergrowth than stay for one more minute in that horrible, cramped prison - sorry, "Home for Orphans and Runaways" - that I am now supposed to call my home._

 _I'm so caught up in my thoughts - today's another rough one - that I don't notice the vines snaking around on the forest floor front of me. My foot catches and I go sprawling, banging my elbows on the mercifully padded forest floor. Pushing myself up onto my elbows, I blow my dark hair out of my face in frustration … and hear a tiny yelp, followed by scuffling. I push myself up onto my knees and cautiously look around the forest. The leaves are moving near a gargantuan tree about two strides away. Without missing a beat, a furry ball of energy comes wriggling out, pleased as anything to have some company, I suppose. It wriggles right over to me, so I scoop it up and sit back on my heels. It's a tiny puppy, its fur matted down with dirt and leaves._

" _Hey, little guy," I say. "Sorry, I mean girl. Do you belong to anyone around here?" The last thing I need is an angry townsperson scolding me for messing with their dog. The puppy whines in response. I hold her up higher and, with a start, notice that I can see her ribs._

" _Poor girl!" I sigh, setting the puppy down on my lap and digging in my pocket for a bit of bread crust. The little fuzzball settles down on my skirt, gnawing happily away at the food. As I shift into a more comfortable position, I notice a single white lily swaying nearby._

" _Lily flower," I whisper. "Liliya. That's you! You're Liliya." The puppy cranes her neck to peer up at me with huge brown eyes, smearing muddy footprints over my skirt. I kiss the top of her head._

" _You're mine now, Liliya, and I'm yours. Family, okay? I haven't got one, and neither have you. We've only got each other, and I'll stick with you until the end of time."_

That promise stayed true, at least it has so far. The kids in the orphanage - and soon after, on the streets - loved the idea of having a dog to play with. They helped me to hide her from the Matron of the House, wash her, feed her, entertain her, and teach her how to obey commands. Now, I'll wager ten pounds and a chicken that my Liliya is the best-behaved canine in all of South Yorkshire.

Pulling apart the curtains over my window, I can see my cozy little farm already at work. The sheep are out in the pasture already, chewing lazily on the meadow grass. Chickens are pecking for bugs in the dirt outside of the henhouse. When I look to the berry-red barn, I see my adoptive father, whom I call Matt, bringing out Bess's milk and the chickens' eggs. _That's my job!_ I think with surprise. _Why would Matt do work that he knows is mine when he won't even let me get out of weeding the cabbages on the hottest day of summer?_

As Matt crosses the barnyard, I see motion in my peripheral vision. Curious, I look toward the driveway leading out of the farm. A tawny bird - an owl - is flapping its way out of the kitchen window and out over the forest. Matt, standing by the well, stops to watch it go, then smiles up at my window. He gives me a knowing wink and continues his way towards the farmhouse.

My heart races. _Today's the day! Happy, happy, happy day!_ I laugh, crouching down to pull Liliya into a hug. She yaps and places her front paws on my shoulders in our special embrace.

"This is it, Liliya!" I tell her, laughing. "I can't believe it." I start to pull my customary farm clothes out of my wardrobe - dungarees and a shirt - but Liliya yaps at me, startling me back to the present. Instead, I tug out my best skirt and blouse, unworn since I got them in London summer last. I daresay that I haven't grown since then! I twist my hair up into the fanciest knot I can manage, and then nearly fly down the stairs.

Amelié is serving breakfast at the counter, wearing her flowery apron. My adoptive parents - whom I call Amelié and Matt - are nearly the most stereotypical couple that one can imagine. Matt is tall, with chocolate brown hair that flops every-which-way and mischievous green eyes that sparkle like emeralds. Amelié has long, blonde hair and her eyes shine bright as a summer sky. Mind, they're as down-to-earth as one can get. No mistake in that! But, as far as two nearly-pure-blooded wizards go, they're as cheery as the flowers in the meadow.

"Sit, missy, and eat up while it's warm!" Amelié waves her spoon at me. "I see that _someone -"_ this is directed at Matt, who is just stepping inside - "got a word in sideways to Sophy before she could come downstairs to see things for herself!"

Matt grins cheekily. "Like she couldn't guess anyhow! Liliya, no porridge. It's Sophy's special day, not yours!"

Liliya ashamedly gets down off of my chair, although she still eyes the pot of porridge on the stove.

"Well?" I ask Amelié excitedly as I take my seat at the table. The porridge is sprinkled with cinnamon and topped with raspberries - there's no doubt about anything now.

"Well, then, eat your breakfast and do your chores and _then_ we'll see about anything special!" My mouth falls open as Amelié turns back to the stove.

Matt bursts out laughing. "Sophy, you're going to swallow flies! My goodness." He reaches over and closes my mouth, still open in shock.

Amelié laughs too. "Silly. You think I'd make you wait? Here." She hands me a thick envelope, embossed with an all-too-familiar seal. The front reads:

Ms. S. M. Alkaev-Shaderock

The South-East Bedroom

Pine Meadows Farm

South Yorkshire

I carefully tear it open, not wanting to make one wrong scratch in the precious parchment. Sliding out the first document, I read: _Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry … Dear Ms. Alkaev-Shaderock … You have been accepted at Hogwarts! … Term starts on September the First …_

I finish reading and whoop. Matt and Amelié laugh and hug me, ignoring the fact that Liliya is now sitting, somewhat awkwardly, in my lap. I use her as an armrest and remove the second sheet of paper, now speed-reading.

 _Uniform … Books … Transfiguration … the Dark Arts … one wand … a cauldron … an owl, a cat or a toad … first-years not allowed broomsticks._

The last sentence makes my heart rebound into my throat.

 _Special permission is made for Ms. Alkaev-Shaderock and her East European Shepherd._

I laugh, wrapping my arms around Liliya's furry neck. She yaps and licks my hair, the black strands sticking to her tongue.

"Well?" Matt asks, spooning porridge into his mouth at an alarming rate. "What's so funny?" He nods at the paper in my hand. "Has there been something of any importance?" His eyes twinkle merrily.

Amelié swats him with her spoon as she sits down, too.

"Don't play innocent, mister. The poor girl's had enough teasing for the day."

"Says you," he mutters.

"What was that?"

"Nothing, dear." He winks at me.

I giggle, starting on my porridge. "I've been assigned eight new books. Teachers are laying it on this year!"

Amelié shrugs. "It's only your first year, Sophy. Those books, you'll use them for the rest of your school years, at least most of them."

"I suppose you would," I say. "No, Liliya." I pull my bowl away from her nose. Liliya looks disappointed.

"Oh! You'd never suppose what Professor McGonagall said," I exclaim, dropping my spoon into the near-empty bowl with a clatter.

"What, dear?" Amelié looks up at me.

"I have simply no idea," Matt says, but his eyes tell otherwise.

I wrap Liliya in a bear hug. "Well, in the letter, it says, 'Students can bring an owl _or_ a cat _or_ a toad.' I don't suppose anyone would bring a toad, though. But here, there's a note. The Professor has written, 'Special permission is made for Ms. Alkaev Shaderock and her…"

"East European Shepherd!" Matt and Amelié finish with me.

"I thought that may have been it," Amelié remarks, golden hair swinging as she pushes back her chair, empty bowl in hand.

"Have you sent them the owl?" I ask happily, finishing my own porridge.

"She sent the school owl back with it," Matt tells me. "That's why it left so late; it had to wait as Amelié took her good time writing a simple response!"

Amelié swats him. "Behave yourself, or you'll be staying _here_ while Sophy and I go to London for her supplies!"

Matt looks hurt. "I'll behave. Promise!"

Liliya sneezes, then snorts. Amelié and I both laugh.

"I don't think Liliya agrees with that," I tell him, laughing.

Matt laughs too. "Day after tomorrow, we'll take the Knight Bus down to London, butterfly." He ruffled my hair. "What say you?"

I wrap my arms around the precious letter and inhale the smell of old parchment. "I think that's as lovely as anything."

* * *

"It's like it becomes more and more special every time we leave," I breathe, "just to amaze me the next time I come!"

I step through the archway in the old brick wall, gazing at the towering shops and buildings. Liliya follows me, sniffing the air.

"Where to first, butterfly?" Matt asks me. He's as excited as I am; I can tell by the look on his face.

"Erm," I say, shuffling around the papers I'm holding. "Let's see." I read aloud. "Students will require three sets of black work robes, a pointed black hat, dragon-hide gloves, and a black cloak with silver fastenings." I keep reading as we begin to walk down the cobbled street, weaving through passerby. The shop windows are filled with interesting things to look at: old books and fresh spices, elegant dress robes; telescopes and whirring contraptions. We purchase a shining crystal set of phials from one shop, a sheaf of parchment from another. One shop has a towering pyramid of cauldrons in the window, so unsteady that I could it knock down with a flick of a finger. Another window is full of racing brooms.

"Ah!" Amelié points a slim finger at a shop on our left. "The Apothecary. I'm going to stop in for some fresh salamander blood; you two go on ahead."

"I'll come with," I return, staring at the pickled _something_ in the store window. "I want to take a look inside."

Amelié shrugs, and pulls open the heavy door. Matt and I follow her inside.

The funny smell of dust and pickled ingredients hits me as I step inside. The little shop is jam-packed full of bottles and jars on towering shelves, barrels and boxes packed full of bat wings and beetle eyes, and even a row of Muggle candy dispensers full of bezoars and dried spiders. A long counter stretches across the shop, behind which the apothecary is busy wrapping up ingredients for an elderly lady with a red handbag.

"I'm going to look at salamander blood," Amelié tells me. "Would you mind taking a look at the aconite root?" She nods to a shelf crowded with bins of creamy roots. "We'll just be a minute."

"Make sure Liliya doesn't eat anything she shouldn't," Matt reminds me.

"Make sure no-one eats anything at all," Amelié clarifies, before pulling Matt toward a shelf of dark vials.

I hook a finger around Liliya's collar and tug her away from a barrel of rats' brains. "C'mon, Lils."

The aconite roots smell rich and earthy, crammed in huge bins on a sturdy shelf. I stand on my tiptoes and peer over the edge of the biggest bin, examining the tubers. After some deliberation, I select a large tuber with one hand and push a few more roots aside.

"You don't want that one," a voice says in my ear. I jump and nearly land on Liliya's paw.

"Sorry?" I turn around. A boy my age is standing behind me, wearing robes hanging slightly askew.

He shifts awkwardly and points to the aconite root in my hand. "That root. It's getting old. It'll lose its potency in a few days."

I blink. The root doesn't look at all remarkable to me. "How can you tell?"

He gingerly takes the root from me and points to one end. "See? The cut is starting to get a bit yellow-brown."

"All of the cut ends are yellow-brown."

He shakes his head and reaches for another root, showing it to me. "See here? Only the center of this one is tinged, the rest is still pale. But this one, all of the cut edge is browning. That isn't good."

I examine the roots. He's right; my root is really starting to brown on one end. "Neat. How'd you know?"

He places my root back in the bin and hands the other root to me. "Experience."

I nod, impressed. After checking the ends of a handful of roots, I choose two more and push the bin back from the edge of the shelf. "I'm Sophy," I say, extending my free hand. "What's your name?"

"Oh, er, Neville." He shakes my hand tentatively. "You wouldn't happen to be starting Hogwarts this year…"

"Yes!" I grin. "I've just been getting my supplies. Have you?"

"Yeah." He nods to the elderly lady at the counter. "I'm here with my Gran."

"I'm here with my parents," I say, pointing to where Amelié and Matt are discussing something by the beetle eyes.

"Cool. Er, your dog…"

I turn to see Liliya sniffing a bin of bat wings. "Oh, Liliya, no!" I tug her back. She turns and gives me her best _I'm-a-good-puppy_ face. "Oh, and this is Liliya," I tell Neville. "I found her when she was a puppy."

"Neat! I haven't got a dog, Gran's allergic, but I have got a toad." He brightens and digs around in his pocket, bringing out a shapeless brown toad. "His name is Trevor. My great-uncle-Algie gave him to me."

I try to look impressed. "Cool."

"No, he's not," he says honestly. "But thanks anyway."

"Sophy!" Amelié waves at me. I jump up, aconite roots in one hand.

"I'll come with you," Neville offers, tucking Trevor back into his pocket. We make our way back through the boxes and over to Matt and Amelié. Matt is holding my packages and Amelié is clutching a tall vial of salamander blood.

"Matt, Amelié, this is Neville. Neville, this is Matt and Amelié," I say. Neville awkwardly waves. Amelie and Matt look delighted, probably because I've made a friend.

"Neville!" A voice comes from behind us. The elderly lady with the red handbag - Neville's Gran - has come up behind Neville, packages tucked under one arm.

"Hi, Gran," Neville says. "Gran, meet Matt, Amelié, and Sophy Shaderock," then, to us, "This is my Gran."

Matt sticks out his hand to Neville's Gran. "Matt Shaderock," he says, "and this is my wife, Amelié."

Neville's Gran gives Matt a thin smile and takes his hand. "Augusta Longbottom."

Matt's eyes widen a smidge in recognition, but he doesn't say anything. I wonder why - the name doesn't tug at any memories for me.

"I'm Sophy," I offer, smiling at Mrs. Longbottom. "I'm going to be in Neville's year at Hogwarts."

Mrs. Longbottom gives another thin smile. "Lovely. Neville, it's wonderful that you've made friends, but we really must be getting to Flourish and Blotts. Pleasure meeting you." With one hand on Neville's elbow, she gracefully exits the shop.

We step up to the counter, setting our purchases in front of the register. "You two seemed to get along well," Amelié notes.

"He's my age," I present. "And he's nice."

"Longbottom," Matt says, almost to himself. "I haven't heard that name in a very long time."

"Why?" I ask, curious.

Matt sighs, sliding a few Galleons across the counter to the cashier. "The Longbottoms, Frank and Alice, were Aurors during the war. I was a year behind them at Hogwarts. Anyway, they were captured near the end of the war."

I gasp. "You-Know-Who didn't kill them!"

"No, that's just it. The Longbottom's weren't killed; they were tortured for information. They're still in St. Mungo's. I went to see them once, just after the end of the war. They're - they've been tortured to insanity."

I take a package, shocked. "And Neville's their son?"

"He must be," Amelié muses. "He's just the age."

I push the shop door open, Liliya at my heels. "My stars. Poor Neville."

"I wouldn't bring it up," Matt warns. "And don't go telling other students; it's Neville's choice on who he wants to know. Although," he muses, "I suppose I did just tell you. Ah, well."

I chuckle, rolling my eyes. "Don't worry. I can keep secrets." I look both ways down the crowded street. "Where to?"

Amelié nods to our left. "Ollivanders, Sophy. You're going to get your wand!"

I whoop, and Liliya yips, imitating my excitement. I laugh and ruffle up her fur.

"This way, ladies!" Matt weaves through clumps of passerby, leading us down the street to the last shop. It's narrow and sort of shabby. Above the door, peeling gold letters announce the shop as Ollivanders: Maker of Fine Wands since 382 B.C. In the window, a wand lies on display. Matt holds open the door and we file inside.

 _It's almost too special to breathe in,_ I think, enthralled. The shop is lined with bookshelves, each stacked with wand boxes. There must be thousands of them. The air hangs with dust, and the silence is almost magical.

"Good afternoon," says a soft voice out of nowhere. I whip around, nearly bumping into Matt. Standing to our right is an old man - Ollivander. His pale eyes seem to _see_ me - as if he can read what is on my inside. I shiver.

"Hello, Mr. Ollivander," I say shyly. Liliya sniffs the air, and, contented, sits down.

"Hello." Ollivander bows his head. "Sophya Alkaev." He says it as if it's a statement. He turns to Matt. "Matthew Shaderock. Eleven and three-quarters inches, birch with a dragon heartstring. Good for Charms."

I blink. How does he know that? Or remember? But Ollivander has moved on. "Amelié de Rousseau. Thirteen inches, even. Willow with a unicorn tail hair. Swishy." Amelié nods her head respectfully

"Well now, Miss Alkaev."

"Alkaev-Shaderock," I correct automatically. "Sir."

"As you wish." He pulls a long tape measure out of his pocket. "Which is your wand arm, Miss Alkaev- _Shaderock_?"

"I'm ambidextrous," I tell him.

He smiles happily. "Good, good! Hold out both arms, then. _That's_ it." He begins to measure me as if he's making me an outfit instead of finding a wand: shoulder to finger, wrist to elbow, shoulder to the floor, and around my head.

"I suppose you know, but every Ollivander wand has a unique core, Miss Alkaev-Shaderock. We use unicorn tail hairs, phoenix feathers, and the heartstrings of dragons. No two Ollivander wands are quite the same, just as no two phoenixes, unicorns, or dragons are the same, either. And, of course, you will never get the same results from a different wizard's - or witch's - wand."

As the tape measure moves down to wrap around my waist, I suddenly realize that it is moving _on its own_ \- Ollivander is flitting through and around shelves, making a stack of wand boxes.

"That will do," he announces, and the tape measure drops to the floor. "Right now, Miss Alkaev-Shaderock. Try this one. Maple and a unicorn tail hair, quite flexible. Ten inches. Take it," he says, holding it out to me.

I reach out and take it by the end. I raise it up to look at the tip, but Ollivander snatches it away as soon as I lift it. "Not that one, then. Ebony and a dragon heartstring, Seven inches and quite springy."

I take the new one and lift it up above my head. Ollivander snatches this one away, too. "No, no. Rosewood and unicorn tail hair, quite whippy, nine inches. Try."

This one, yet again is snatched away, as are the next three. I'm feeling frustrated and a bit worried - what if we have to go through the entire shop before I find the right one? On the contrary, Ollivander is looking as happy as a child on Christmas.

"Tricky customer, have we? Don't fret, Miss Alkaev-Shaderock, we'll find the right match! Oak and a phoenix feather, try."

I try this one as well, to no results. I glance back at Matt and Amelié. Amelié looks sympathetic, and Matt looks somewhat amused.

"Miss Alkaev-Shaderock? Try this one. Applewood and a phoenix feather, fourteen inches, quite powerful. Try it now, please."

I take this wand. It feels different, somehow. I lift it up and point it directly in front of me. A tingling ripple spreads through me, and when it reaches my fingers, a blossom of greenish-goldish light jets out in a burst from the tip of the wand. I'm delighted - at least until the light hits the shelves of wands in the back of the shop, sending boxes flying and cascading every which way.

"Oops," I say, wincing at the catastrophe before me. "I'm really sorry about that."

To my surprise, Ollivander claps, as do Mark and Amelié. He rights the shop with a sweep of his own wand, before turning back to me. "Very _good,_ Miss Alkaev-Shaderock! Applewood and a phoenix feather. Fourteen inches and powerful, and _there you go!"_ He hands me the box, which is lined with black velvet.

I examine my wand as Matt pays. The grains in the wood swirl enchantingly. _Мама's wand was applewood, too,_ I think. _I wonder if Мама's wood looked the same as mine._ I trace one of the swirls, following Amelié out of the shop and into the sunlight.

* * *

I wander through the train, looking for a place to sit. Thank goodness I'm stronger than I look - otherwise, my trunk would be unbearably heavy by now. All of the compartments I've passed so far are full. I'm nearing the end of the train; there had better be somewhere soon. As if responding to my wish, the next cabin I pass is nearly empty, except for two boys.

I tap on the glass, and, when they look up, I open the compartment door.

"I'm so sorry, but can I sit in here? I can't find a free spot anywhere else on the train."

The boys look up. One of them has red hair and even more freckles than Matt does. "Sure," he says. "Here, I'll help you with your trunk." He lifts up the other end and together we sling it up into the luggage rack.

"I'm Ron Weasley," he says, sitting back down. "This is, well, you know."

I look over at the other boy. He looks familiar … then, I recognize him.

"You … don't you live in Surrey? In …" I snap my fingers. "Little Whinging! A couple years ago, we played at the park. On the jungle gym."

His eyes light up in recognition, and something else I can't place. "I remember that! You were visiting with your new parents, you said. And … you had a dog back then."

I nod. "I still do."

"A dog!" Ron leans in. "Really? Where?"

I blink. "Erm, she should be in here, unless she got sidetracked … " I get up and peer into the hallway. Sure enough, a group of older kids are playing with Liliya in the hallway.

"Hey!" An older boy says. "Is this your dog?"

"That she is," I answer. "C'mon, Liliya." Liliya gives the boy's hand one last lick, and then lopes over and into the compartment.

"This," I say to the boys, "is my dog. Liliya, this is Ron and …"

"Harry," says the other boy.

"Ron and Harry," I tell her.

Ron sits up, looking surprised. "You didn't know Harry's name before now?"

I shake my head. "I am _so_ bad with names."

"But … he and You-Know-Who!"

I grin. "I grew up in Russia. No You-Know-Who there."

"Oh." Harry lets Liliya sniff his hand. "That's fine." He grins at me.

We fall silent, watching the fields and forests roll by out the window. The last time I rode on a train was when Matt and Amelié brought me here from Russia. I remember having lunch in the dining car, and Matt letting Liliya sleep with me in my bunk.

A big clattering makes us jump, and we turn to the corridor. A smiling lady slides open our door, pulling her cart to a stop.

"Anything off the trolley, dears?" she asks, beaming at us.

Harry leaps to his feet and trots out into the corridor. Ron mutters something about sandwiches, and slouches down in his seat.

I turn, examining the trolley. To my shock, I see a Neville's toad nestled between two unopened boxes of cauldron cakes. I get up for some Pumpkin Pasties to go with my sandwich, surreptitiously slipping Trevor into my pocket on the way back to my seat. After I eat, I decide, I'll to find Neville.

Harry, on the other hand, buys some of everything. He tips it out onto the seat next to him. Ron, who is holding a lumpy package, gapes at him.

We trade foods. I trade Ron my corned-beef-free sandwich, and, since I don't mind the meat, I take his. Harry gives us both Chocolate Frogs, but I turn down the offer of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans. After tugging a bit of corned beef away from Liliya, I root around in my trunk for a bit of dog food, which Liliya settles on the floor to eat.

"What are these?" Harry asks suddenly. He's holding up a pack of Chocolate Frogs. I swallow my bite of sandwich and look up. "They're not _really_ frogs, are they?" I raise my eyebrows. _He's never had Chocolate Frogs before?_ I faintly remember reading somewhere that Harry Potter grew up with Muggles. _If that's true, then of course he'd never get Chocolate Frogs,_ I reason.

"No," says Ron, reaching for a Cauldron Cake. "But see what the card is. I'm missing Agrippa."

I want to pipe in, _Or Paracelsus._ I'm missing him as well.

"What?" Harry asks, examining the package quizzically. I can see his gears turning: _Frogs? So where do cards come in?_

"Oh, of course you wouldn't know," Ron says, "Chocolate Frog have cards inside them, you know, to collect - famous witches and wizards. I've got about five hundred -" _Five hundred!_ I think. _I've only got two hundred and forty -_ "but I haven't got Agrippa or Ptolemy."

Understanding crosses Harry's face. He carefully unwraps the package, pulling out the card. Craning my head to see the back, I realize that he's got Dumbledore. _Good place to start,_ I think. _Anyhow, this way he's got some idea of who's running his new school._

"So this is Dumbledore!" Harry says, examining the picture on the front. Ron almost spits out a bite of his pastry.

"Don't tell me you've never heard of Dumbledore!" he exclaims. "Can I have a frog? I might get Agrippa." Harry reaches into the pile next to him and tosses a couple to Ron. "Thanks."

Harry reads the back of the card in silence, and I unwrap a Frog of my own. I've got a Ptolemy. I have three of him at home, and since Ron needs that one, he'd have better use of the card.

"Hey, Ron," I say. Ron looks up from a Circe card; I've already got one of her, and judging by the look on Ron's face, he doesn't need another. "Didn't you say that you're missing Ptolemy?"

"Yeah. Ptolemy and Agrippa."

"Heads up." I flip the card to him, end over end. He catches it and holds it up to read.

"Ptolemy. Great! Thanks, Sophy."

"Anytime." I pop the frog into my mouth and savor the milky chocolate.

"Hey," Harry says from the other side of the compartment, "he's gone!"

I blink at him. Indeed, the Dumbledore on his card has gone off somewhere.

"Well, you can't expect him to hand around all day," Ron says in a vague way of explanation. "He'll be back. Oh, no. I've got Morgana again and I've got about six of her at home. D'you want to start collecting, Harry? Here." He tries to flip the card at Harry, but ends up dropping it.

I lean down and ruffle up Liliya's fur. The boys are talking about things - photos, maybe, and Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans.

"This is it, girly!" I whisper to her. Her ears pick up; I know she's listening. "We're going to Hogwarts, really going this time _. You and me. Me and you. We've got each other, and we'll stick together until the end of time_." Liliya pokes her nose into my hair and huffs, which is her way of telling me that she cares. I laugh when it tickles my ear.

"Have you got any pets?" Harry asks Ron. "I've got Hedwig," he gestures to a snowy white owl, "and Sophy's got Liliya."

Ron heaves a long-suffering sigh. "Scabbers," he groans, holding up a rat. I lean back slightly. I've seen better rats in the past few years.

"He might have died and you wouldn't know the difference," Ron complains. "I tried to turn him yellow yesterday, because it might make him a bit more interesting. The spell didn't work, so go figure. I'll show you, here." He rummages around for a bit and brings out an old wand. I blink. _Where did he get it? All of the wands at Ollivander's are plenty nice enough._

Ron says something to Harry and clears his throat. Just as he raises his wand, the compartment door bangs open. It's Neville and an unfamiliar girl.

"Has anyone seen a toad? Neville's lost one," she says. When her eyes land on me, she brightens a bit. Her hair is brown, bushy, and rather frizzy. Her front teeth are a bit bigger than normal, but she still looks pretty.

"Here," I say, pulling Trevor out of my pocket. He's asleep. "I found him on the trolley."

Neville brightens, scooping Trevor out of my hands. "Thank you, Sophy!" He gives me a wave over his shoulder, ducking out of the compartment.

"Are you doing magic?" The girl asks Ron interestedly. "Let's see it, then!" She sits down across from me, giving me a friendly grin.

Ron clears his throat again. "Sunshine, daisies, butter mellow," he intones. I blink. _What spell is this?_ "Turn this stupid, fat rat yellow!" He taps the rat - Scabbers - but nothing happens.

"Are you sure that's a real spell?" the girl asks. "Well, it's not a very good one, is it? I've tried some spells for practice - simple ones - and everything worked for me. Nobody in my family is magic whatsoever, so it was so surprising when I got my letter. I was _ever_ so pleased. I mean, Hogwarts is the very best school of magic there is, isn't it? I've learned all of our course books by heart, of course. I just hope it'll be enough. I'm Hermione Granger, by the way, what's your name?"

"I'm Ron Weasley," Ron mutters sullenly.

"Harry Potter," says Harry.

"I'm Sophy, Sophy Alkaev-Shaderock," I say. "This is Liliya. I think she likes you." Liliya yips to confirm it.

"She seems very nice," Hermione says. Then, to Harry, "Are you really? I know all about you, of course - I got a few extra books for background reading, since I'm new to all this, and you're in _Modern Magic History_ and _The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts_ and _Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century_."

"Am I really?" Harry looks stunned. I'm impressed.

"Goodness, you didn't know? I'd have found out all that I could if it was me," Hermione says. "Do either of you know what House you'll be in? I've been asking around, and I hope I'm in Gryffindor, it seems the best by far. I hear Dumbledore was it there, Dumbledore himself! I suppose Ravenclaw wouldn't be too bad. Anyway, I'd better get back to my compartment. You lot had better change, I expect we'll be at Hogwarts sooner or later." Hermione gets up, flashes me a smile, and disappears into the corridor.

"Whatever House she ends up in, I hope that I'm not in it!" Ron says. I glare at him. "Stupid spell. I bet George knew it was a dud when he gave it to me."

"What House is your family in?" I ask him.

"Gryffindor," Ron says somewhat sadly. "All of them, Mum and Dad included. I don't know what they'll say if I'm not in it. I suppose Ravenclaw wouldn't be too bad, but imagine if they put me in Slytherin!"

"Some people think I'll be in Slytherin," I say, wrapping up my empty sandwich bag.

Ron spins around to gape at me. "You? But you're so … so _nice!"_

"Thanks!" I say. "See, I grew up in Russia. Most of the Wizarding folk there aren't all that great, and folks think I'll turn out the same."

"Don't worry about that," Ron says. "You're not sorted by the history of where you come from, it's _you_ that counts. You're fine."

"Slytherin is where You-Know-Who was, isn't it?" Harry asks.

"I suppose," I shrug. "Relax, Harry. I'm sure everything will end up fine." And, still facing his uncertain expression, I root around in my pocket for some cards. "Anyone up for Exploding Snap?"

Everyone starts heaping food onto their plates. I pick out my favorites - roast beef, boiled potatoes, peas, carrots, and gravy. I pour some dog food onto a plate and pass it under the table for Liliya.

* * *

Everyone chatters around me as we begin to eat. Harry is talking to a ghost who's wearing clothing from a few centuries ago. Ron is talking to a sandy-haired wizard that I _think_ is called Sean, or something like that. Hermione is chattering away with Parvati and Lavender. Next to me, Neville is mashing peas and carrots into his potatoes.

"We're here," he says in awe. "We actually made it."

I grin, stabbing a carrot. "What were you expecting? Ghouls in the broom cupboards? A troll by the lakeshore? Banshees in the loo?"

He laughs. "No, I dunno. I just never imagined getting this far."

I nod in agreement. "Yeah. And Gryffindor, too. Both of us!"

He beams. "I know. Gryffindor. Gran's going to be so proud. She was in Ravenclaw, but Mum and Dad were in Gryffindor. I think my family decided I would be in Hufflepuff."

I shrug. "You'd make a good Hufflepuff. Not that you aren't a good Gryffindor," I amend quickly. "Speaking of which, what did the Sorting Hat say? Daring and chivalry? I call daring."

"Hey!" Neville complains. "You can't just _call_ daring."

"I just did," I point out, poking at my potatoes. "That means you get chivalry."

"Oh." He stops to consider this.

"Lord Chivalry and Lady Daring," I muse, the chatter of Hogwarts echoing around me. "I like the sound of that."

I stab another carrot, letting the noise of the Great Hall wash over me in a wave. Liliya settles against my leg, and I smile. _This is going to be a fabulous year._


	2. Chapter One

Disclaimer: All characters, settings, or other story components taken from the Harry Potter, Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Heroes of Olympus, and Trials of Apollo series belongs to JK Rowling and Rick Riordan, respectively. I do not own any of the aforementioned. I do not intend to use this story commercially.

A/N: Hello again! Here is, as promised, the second installment of The Worlds Before Us. This chapter contains spoilers for Order of the Phoenix and characters from the Lost Hero. I will try to publish the next chapter by the 30th of April, but I might not be able to. Please read and review!

* * *

"Mail for you, Soph." Parvati hands me a letter from across the table. _Rather late in the morning for mail,_ I think, taking it. Parvati clears her throat "Did you hear? Hermione's getting out of the hospital wing today."

"Is she?" I ask. "That'll be wonderful!" It's been several weeks since our escapade at the Ministry of Magic. Hermione will be the last of us to be released from the infirmary; Ron left yesterday and I left a week before.

I turn my attention to the letter as Parvati gets up and departs, leaving the Great Hall empty save Liliya and me. Amelié's familiar handwriting arches across the parchment in almost flawless copperplate script.

 _Dear Sophy,_ I read. _Matt and I are quite alright. Unfortunately, there's been several mishaps around the village. Strange things have been happening and people are quite unsettled. The constables are investigating the matter, but folks here are still ready to bar doors and point fingers. We want to see you and I'm sure you'd love to come home, but Matt and I think it would be best if you'd wait until this whole mess blows over. We've contacted the Three Broomsticks about lodging and our friends Tad and Mary (they own Honeydukes, do you remember?) about keeping an eye on you. I'll be in touch, butterfly, and we'll hopefully be at Hogsmeade by Saturday after next. Lots of love as always, Amelié._

I heave a sigh and lean back against the edge of the table. _I just want to see the farm!_ I internally complain. _Curse those dratted townsfolk._

"Sophy?" I feel a hand on my shoulder. "Are you alright?"

I open my eyes and turn around. "Yeah. Just thinking."

Neville settles down on the bench next to me. "What a phenomenon. May I ask why?"

"The villagers are being arseholes again. Odd mishaps have been going on around the town, apparently, and they're throwing out accusations."

Neville frowns. "I thought you liked my neighbors."

"Well, yes, I do, but those aren't the villagers. We live on the outskirts of town and our closest neighbors are the folks who also own farms or homes away from town. We only really see the villagers when we come into town for groceries or other things."

"Go on," Neville prompts.

"And, since I'm the next candidate in the blame campaign, Amelié and Matt think I should stay in Hogsmeade until the mess blows over." I sigh, resting my chin on my hand. "After all of this, I just want to go home!"

Neville gives me a sympathetic pat on the arm. "I can ask Gran if you can stay with us for a week or two."

I blink, sitting up straighter. "Really?"

"Of course, you ninny! What are friends for?"

A thought comes to me. "Oh, but it's almost the end of term. It'll take too long to get permission and all."

He sighs as well. "You're right. Oh, speaking of which, I need to start packing."

"You haven't started yet?!"

"Sorry!"

I roll my eyes. "Go on, then. I'd better hear from you over the summer."

"Hey! That's my line!"

I laugh. "Go."

He waves, and disappears into the entrance hall. I watch him go, before folding the letter and shoving it back into the envelope.

"Oi, Sophy!" Ron comes running, skidding around a corner and nearly losing his balance. "Who've you been talking to?"

I lift up my chin at his tone. "Neville. Why? Jealous?"

His ears turn pink, and Hermione, close on his heels, bursts out laughing. "Look at that face!" She gives me a hug. "Nice to see you, Sophy."

"Nice to see you, too."

"'Mione just got released from the hospital wing!" Ron announces.

"I figured as much. I missed you lot!"

"Aw, I missed you too." Hermione glances at her watch. "Listen, I need to go. I haven't got a chance to pack at all yet." She waves, and then disappears upstairs.

Ron sits down. "So. Are you coming to the Burrow again this summer?"

I wince. "I don't know, Ron. I have to stay in Hogsmeade for a few weeks. That's as far as I've gotten so far."

Ron hops to his feet. "Too bad! Owl me, then. Mum's determined to see everyone this summer."

I sit down and watch him disappear after Hermione. Before I can process it, a memory tugs at the corner of my mind and I'm sinking into the past.

* * *

"C'mon, Liliya." We troop down the lawn. The carriages are loading, and I don't want to have to talk to Madam Rosmerta at the Three Broomsticks. Or talk to _anyone_ , for that matter _._ My trunk is still in my dormitory, hidden under my bed. I'm feeling homesick and annoyed at Amelié and Matt for making me stay here.

I'm around the corner of the lake, a ways away from the busiest side of the castle. A couple minute's walk away is the forest, where I'm headed. It reminds me of the forest back in the Soviet Union, where I used to go to escape.

Funnily enough, I can hear unfamiliar sounds coming from the forest. Clangs and yells float my way along with strangely deep snarls. Liliya's ears pick up, and she looks uneasy.

I pick my way down the hill and come around a corner of the lake. I have a clear line of sight through the woods, and the sight that I see makes me gape with astonishment.

A group of kids are standing in the forest. I can see that they're all teens, and that alone is enough to surprise me. I count five boys and four girls, all my age - fifteen or sixteen. They're wearing Muggle clothing, jeans and tee-shirts. What surprises me the most isn't their various cuts and scrapes or the obvious fact that they've been trampling through the woods - it's their weapons. And their quarry.

A huge beast towers in the clearing. Half-between the size of a rhinoceros and an elephant, it has to squeeze to fit within the trees. And yet, it isn't a pachyderm at all.

It's a dog. It's the biggest dog I've ever seen, a towering mass of shaggy black fur with glowing red eyes and scarily large teeth. The teens, all holding weapons of various sizes and shapes, are fighting it … but I don't see how they can win.

I'm already sprinting toward the clearing, despite the doubts running through my mind. _It'll be too late by the time I come back with help,_ I resolve, even though I know it'll also be too late by the time I get close enough to do anything. As I run, my boot catches on a stone and I trip and fall, sprawling on the hillside.

As I lie on the ground, I can see a hawk turning in the sky. It glides on air currents, flowing, shifting, moving. As if dreaming, I note the ones it'll turn onto next - ones that'll lift him in a circle, higher, or lower. I see the ones that ruffle the trees, or whip my hair about -

I sit up in shock. _I can see the air currents._ Is this normal? I hope so. Am I dreaming? No, this is too real, unlike any other dream I've had before.

Standing, I focus on a current running near to the ground. I take a deep breath, close my eyes …

Liliya starts to yap. I open my eyes and gasp in shock. I'm hovering two feet above the ground. I switch currents - higher and higher I go, and then back down to the ground. _This is surreal,_ I think, almost laughing hysterically. _So surreal._ Stumbling as I touch the ground, I look from the castle to the battle and back again.

"Liliya, you stay here. Stay. Sit! Stay. Understand? Stay." I stand, watching her to make sure she stays put. Drawing my wand, I leap for the nearest current.

Flying on the wind is better than broomsticks, I decide as I speed down the hillside, eyes on the battle. _Wait for it,_ I think. _Wait … and …_

"Impedimenta!" I try, letting a white stream of light jet through the air. The beast in the clearing stumbles back a step, stunned. In an instant, one of the boys is plunging his sword into the beast. As the light leaves the monster's eyes, I blink. It's disintegrating, turning into sand.

As I cautiously land and walk toward the clearing, I'm studying the strangers. They're all in ripped jeans and tee-shirts that read _Camp Half-Blood._ They're all carrying some sort of weapon - bows and arrows, swords, knives, and one boy even holds a hammer. All nine strangers stare at me: a petite, dark-haired girl in a school blouse and black pants, carrying a nondescript messenger bag. Innocent and normal.

"Hello," I start.

"Hi," some of them awkwardly chorus. Others wave apprehensively. All of them are still staring at me. It's getting a bit creepy.

"Lovely day. What brings you out this way?" A blonde girl asks nonchalantly, like we're meeting in a shopping mall.

"Just out for a stroll," I answer honestly, watching the teens carefully. They're not wizards, I'm almost certain, but Muggles shouldn't have been able to get this far into the grounds. "And you?"

"Same as you," the blonde girl says, shifting slightly. "Just out for a … a …" She's staring, frozen, at something over my shoulder. I turn cautiously. Nothing's there. "Are those _ruins?"_

"What?" I turn around, and suddenly realize she's referring to Hogwarts. I turn back to the group. "Oh, yes, of course. Why?"

She blinks for a moment, and then slaps herself on the forehead. "Oh, no! Guys," she turns to her friends. "I _told_ you we were going the wrong way!"

I maintain a poker face, struggling to repress my skepticism. Just out for a walk, my arse. _No_ ordinary teens would be _out for a walk_ in a magical forest, especially not escorting a giant killer dog. These teenagers are keeping secrets and, if I'm not mistaken, they're up to something, too.

The blond girl turns back to me with an apologetic smile. "I am so sorry! We've come way off our course. Since these are the ruins, we ought to be heading," she pauses slightly, "that way!" She points behind her, straight into the forest. "Sorry to intrude. Enjoy your walk!" She grasps the elbows of the two boys closest to her and steers them around, marching away into the forest.

I raise an eyebrow. Something is unnaturally off about this group. Besides the giant-monster-dog matter, they're apparently under the impression that I can't tell they're carrying dangerous weapons. What's more, the teenagers aren't from here - they know nothing about the area. Hogwarts is nothing if not completely isolated - there's nowhere for them to have come from. I let them get as far as the edge of the clearing before I speak.

"Erm, excuse me?" I try gently.

The blonde girl turns on her heel, still smiling politely. "Yeah?"

"The nearest town," _with the exception of Hogsmeade,_ I mentally add, "is that way." I point to my left.

"Oh!" The girl blinks and smiles again. "Thanks!" She turns and starts off again.

"And," I add, making her turn, "it's one hundred fifty kilometers away." _Populated by a lonely group of cattle-farming Muggles,_ I continue in my head. "That's, what, ninety miles?"

The group of teens freezes and looks at one another apprehensively. The blonde girl, speechless, crinkles her forehead in nervous thought.

"So," I continue calmly, despite my building sense of foreboding, "what I want to know is, where the _heck_ are you lot from?"

They stare at each other. One girl, who sports spiky black hair, snaps her fingers and smiles falsely at me.

"There's nothing odd about this," she says, her voice oddly soothing. "We're just passing through. We're nothing, not memorable at all."

I stare at her, a growing panic in my gut. "Exactly. Not memorable at all." She nods, but I continue. "A group of unsupervised teens ages away from civilization, all sporting lethal weapons of different forms and using them to slaughter giant rabid dogs. No, I see nothing wrong about this situation at all." I let the sarcasm laced in my voice to tell the exact opposite story.

The teens all react differently to my words. A few simply stare at me in shock. Others turn to look at each other or whisper a few words. The blond girl turns to a dark-haired boy and starts murmuring into his ear.

A series of rapid-fire barking cuts through the awkward silence. I whip around to see Liliya shooting toward us, yapping her _stranger! danger!_ bark.

"Liliya!" I call, a stab of uncertainty running through me. She ignores me, continuing on her beeline path. "Damn it!" I whisper, starting forward. My foot catches on a root and I stumble, but I catch myself and propel myself ahead.

As soon as I step forward, I know that something about that movement was _off._ Was it the way my stride was longer than normal, or that I landed too lightly? Nevertheless, the thoughts fly from my mind as I reach Liliya's side, reaching for her collar and my wand.

"Confundo!" I whisper as I hook my fingers around Liliya's collar, halting her hostile rush toward the strangers. The spell makes her slow and relax, allowing me to find and hook her leash to her collar. Carefully slipping my wand back into my pocket, I lead Liliya a good distance away from the group of strangers.

Behind me, the teenagers are whispering to each other. In a moment of panic, I think they saw me using magic. _But no,_ I console myself, _I had my back turned and I was so careful. What, then, are they talking about?_ Suddenly, that moment after I tripped flashes back into my mind. With a sickening certainty, I know exactly what the strangers are conversing about so excitedly. _I flew. I must have flew, if only for a meter or so!_ I almost laugh with the eccentricity of the afternoon. _Is my life going to get progressively stranger as time goes on?_ I wonder.

Abruptly, I notice that the clearing is silent. I half-turn around to find the teenagers all staring at each other or at me. _I really wish they would stop doing that!_ I think.

"Sorry about Liliya," I start politely. "She doesn't take kindly to strangers with weapons."

The blond boy nods. "Perfectly understandable. So, um, actually, what did you say your name was again?"

"I didn't," I say cautiously. "But it's Sophy."

"Sophy." He nods. "I'm Jason. Pleasure. So, Sophy, we noticed that, um, when you were going to stop your dog, you, er…"

He pauses, confirming my suspicions. "Yes, I tripped," I hedge. "I noticed."

He shakes his head. "No, after that. Right after you tripped. You, erm …"

"Yes?" I prompt.

"Flew," he finishes. "You flew for a few feet."

I nod slowly. "Oh-kay. Great. So, I'm assuming that's more up your alley than mine, so I'll leave that subject of interest to you." I turn, in part to check on Liliya. She's still sitting by my feet, calmer than normal considering the _Confundus_ charm. I feel a stab of guilt for using my magic on my dog, but I push it away. It was necessary at the time.

"You don't seem surprised," another girl points out from behind me. "Isn't a claim that you flew a bit, I dunno, out of the norm?"

I turn around again. "Since you lot showed up," I state, "I've pretty much given into weirdness. So yes, it is out of my norm, but no, I've given up being surprised. It's getting to be a nuisance at this point."

The blond girl steps forward again, hands pressed together. "Sophy, I'm sorry if this is a bit personal, but I must ask you, er, what is your current relationship with your biological parents?"

I bristle slightly, bittersweet memories brimming to the top of my mind. "They've both passed," I state sharply. "Why?"

None of the teens respond. Instead, the blond girl continues. "I'm so sorry, Sophy. Truly. And, apologies for asking, did you know both of your parents well?"

I stare at her coolly, but decide to answer truthfully. "My mother, yes. My father died before I was born."

Some of the teens turn to whisper with one another. The blond girl looks like her thoughts have been confirmed.

"Again, I'm very sorry to hear that, Sophy," she says kindly. She looks like she's going to say more, but the spiky-haired girl clears her throat and raises an eyebrow.

"As we were saying before," she continues, "we should be going."

The blond girl frowns slightly. "How? Like Sophy said, there aren't any towns-"

"Nico says he can take us," the other girl interrupts, pointing to a dark-haired boy half-hidden in the back.

"I can!" he protests at the blond girl's look.

I sit up a bit more. Was I wrong? Are they wizards? Unless the Nico boy can apparate, I can't see how they're planning to get out of here.

"Right, then," the blond girl sighs. The group starts to clump and move together, shifting to form a loose circle. "Well, it was nice meeting you, Sophy," she calls over her shoulder.

"Wait!" I'm up on my feet in an instant. "Not quite yet. You still haven't explained about the giant dog you were fighting or how you got out here. Oh, also, I would love to know why you wanted to know about my parents. And why I can _fly,_ because I'm guessing it has something to do with you lot." On a split-second gut feeling, I mentally flip through the contents of my messenger bag and reach for Liliya's leash. "I want to come with you."

The teens send each other looks. I feel a twinge of doubt when I notice that the blond girl looks almost triumphant, but I don't back down. Some instinct tells me to follow this group, and my instincts are typically accurate.

"Won't you be missed at your home?" The spiky haired girl asks, waving a finger at the forest. She blinks suddenly, as if just realizing that I have to come from somewhere, too.

"Not for a while," I hedge, vowing to send an owl home as soon as possible.

"Oh, alright." The blond girl steps to her left, making a space for me. I hurry to stand next to her, wrapping Liliya's leash securely around my hand. I take the hands of the blond girl and boy. Liliya stays by my side, although she growls shortly when the blond boy steps to close to her paws.

"Just to warn you," the blond girl whispers in my ear, "this _thing_ Nico can do is a bit, okay, really bizarre. Don't worry, though, Nico knows what he's doing."

I blink, a bit concerned. "Um, okay?"

"On three!" Nico calls from across the circle. "One, two," I take a deep breath, "three!"

With a blink of an eye, we're sinking into the shadows of the trees. Darkness descends around me, blotting out my vision.


	3. Chapter Two

Disclaimer: All characters, settings, or story components taken from the Harry Potter, Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Heroes of Olympus, or Trials of Apollo series belong to J.K. Rowling and Rick Riordan, respectively. I do not own any of the aforementioned. I do not intend to use this story commercially.

A/N: Hello, again! Here is, as promised, the third installment of The Worlds Before Us. I apologize for this chapter being shorter than the rest. This chapter contains minor spoilers for up to the House of Hades and Philosopher's Stone. I am aiming to get the next chapter published by next weekend (6 and 7 May) but again, I might not be able to. Please read and review!

* * *

The world around us is dark, dark as the deepest night. There's a wind whipping past me, and I shiver, although I don't know why. As a strand of my hair jerks loose from behind my ear, I hear a trail of ghostly voices, eerily echoing the wind. _Is this some foreign sort of Apparating?_ I wonder apprehensively as Liliya whimpers anxiously.

Someone's hand jerks in mine, almost causing me to let go. I tighten my grip on their hand, knitting my fingers through theirs. On my other side, Liliya's leash pulls taut around my hand, and I squeeze both of the hands I'm holding. A sensation of chilling trepidation sweeps over me. With a palpable certainty, I know this isn't Apparating at all. _Something is happening,_ I reckon as the person on my left is flung into me. _Something is going undeniably wrong._

When the hand to my right jerks again, I snap out loud, "Oi! Stop letting go!"

My voice sounds tinny and far away and is immediately swept away by the wind. I assume no one heard me, but someone answers.

"I'm not trying to!"

"I know you aren't tr - oof!"

The person to my left suddenly slams into me again, knocking me into the person to my right. I stumble back a step as the person to my left loses their balance and knocks into my shoulder.

"Ow!" a girl says in my ear. "Your dog's leash - hey! Percy!" She tries to move away but something catches her, sending her off balance.

The person to my right is pulled away from me again. Spitting hair out of my mouth in irritation, I brace myself on my heels.

"Hold onto my sleeve for a moment!" I snap to the person to my left as she regains her balance.

"What?"

"Please?"

She lets go before fastening her grip to my sleeve. After deciding that fumbling for my pocket will be useless, I flick my fingers in the only wandless spell I know.

I scrunch up my eyes for a moment as the bluebell flames flare above my palm, but my eyes adjust in moments, allowing me to look beside me.

To my right, a boy with curly black hair is being tugged by someone in the unilluminated shadows. He seems to be having trouble keeping his grip. On my other side, the blond girl has crumpled my shirt in a fist. Upon noticing the light she turns to me.

"Sophy!" she calls, her voice almost swept away by the wind. "I … my grip … Percy's hand slipped out of mine and I let go!"

I stare at her. Does she expect to do something? I don't even know who this Percy is.

I take a deep breath. Although I know this isn't my fault, although I have absolutely no idea what's going on, I vow to get these strangers out of this fix. Even as I think, however, only one vaguely feasible idea is coming to mind. _You've never done this before, Sophy,_ I remind myself. _You don't know. Maybe this will work differently in this weird shadow space and you won't end up killing everyone. You never know._

"Right, then," I say, almost to myself. Then, to the boy, "Oi! You!"

"Me?" He asks, turning toward me and noticing my flames. "Hey, how'd you-"

"I need you to let go of whoever is on your right!" I interrupt.

He blinks. "But Hazel-"

"DO IT!" Some of my urgency flashes out in my words. I can feel the wind becoming rough, whipping my hair, throwing off my balance.

A moment passes, the bluebell flames flickering out in the wind. Suddenly, I feel him latch onto my arm with his other hand. His touch is surprisingly warm.

"Thank you," I say, strained. Doubts are filling my mind, and I need to concentrate. "Now. You. On my left."

"Yes?" I hear her respond, more edgy than before.

"Sorry," I get out quickly before continuing. "Could you please grab Lil's collar with one hand?"

I feel her bending down, and I bend with her until I feel fur between my fingers. We're forming an awkward circle-triangle-thing, half crouching to grab Liliya.

"Okay." My voice is calmer than I am. "Everyone imagine, er, that place you're trying to get to. Somewhere specific."

"Thalia's pine," the blond girl suggests uncertainty.

"Perfect," I say through gritted teeth. I've only Apparated twice before, from one end of the barn to the other while my eighteen-year-old neighbor gave me confusing whispered instructions so Matt wouldn't hear. Like most eccentric things I do, I use what I know and bank on the fact that I might end up fine. "Thalia's pine. On three. One, two, _three!"_

I twist into a compressing darkness, the others holding tight to my forearms as the shadows constrict around us.

* * *

One, two, three seconds of unbearable pressure go by before the three of us and Liliya fall, sprawling, onto a green hill. A huge pine tree looms a few feet behind us, and some sort of camp is laid out in the valley below. I think I see the ocean over a hill, but I don't care at the moment.

"Is everyone okay?" I demand, pushing myself to my feet. A quick examination proves that no-one is Splinched, although the boy is wheezing and the girl looks a bit green. Liliya sits up and lopes closer to me, trailing her leash behind her. I push my hair back, letting out a whooshing breath.

 _Merlin. I did it. I actually did it!_

In the shade of a nearby tree, three figures twist into being. I see a dark-skinned girl, who has a firm grasp on two boys. One, the blond boy, sits up first, eyes wild.

"Piper?" He starts, turning in a circle, before launching to his feet. "PIPES!"

The other boy tries to reach for him, but he twists away. "We've got to go back! PIPER!"

The girl is shaking her head violently, tears spilling. "I can't go back, Jason, we can't go back, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"

The blond girl pushes herself to her feet and is racing over to them. "Jason! Frank! Hazel! What's going on?"

Hazel is gasping through her tears. "When you and Percy split, we all got clumped together, and then Leo let go too," she gets out, "and Nico was unconscious, and I wanted to take everyone back, I said I could, but Percy and Thalia told us to go, and leave them, and I was taking us and Piper, too, but she must've gotten separated before, before…" She collapses into more tears.

The blond girl looks as if she's fighting to remain calm. "If they don't make it out, if we can't find them," she starts to pace. "We can't go back, but we have to-"

"I can," I interrupt, wishing I'm right. "I'll find them, as long as you stay here."

The blond girl whirls. "You can't! It's impossible, it's too dangerous, you don't have any experi-"

"I told you, I _can."_ I drop my messenger bag next to Liliya. "Just watch my dog."

I twist on my heel. _The shadows, with Nico,_ I repeat in my head. The darkness tightens for a moment, nearly suffocating me, before I'm released into a different sort of shadow.

In the weird shadow-travel realm, the wind is rougher than before. I flail an arm out, finding an arm.

"Nico!" I scream. He's the only one I remember who was wearing a jacket. "Can someone hear me?"

So much for that. Raising my arm, I flick my fingers for more bluebell flames. Nico is deathly pale under his shock of black hair, and the light from my flames doesn't stretch past his other arm.

" _Bloody heck_ ," I mutter under my breath. Lovely. Now I sound like Ron. This day keeps getting worse and worse. "We've got to get you out of here."

Something makes my neck prickle, and out of sheer instinct, I lunge to my left. My hand is met with a flailing arm, and, bracing myself against Nico, I pull Piper toward me. She's white and shaking, hair tangled beyond mercy.

"S-Sophy!" she gasps. "Fire, and - Nico, what's going on?"

I shake my head. "Don't ask me." Raising my voice to a shout, "Percy! Thalia! Can you hear me?"

"Sophy?" A faint call comes, and Percy's head appears over Nico's shoulder. "Sophy! We thought you left-"

"I did," I say grimly. "And now, I'm back. What's more, I'm getting you lot out of here, so _hold on!"_

Percy frowns, but reaches around Nico for my arm. He pulls the spiky-haired girl behind him. I seriously doubt I can safely take four people back in one trip, but by the way the wind is increasing, I doubt I'll have time to make two trips. _All or nothing, Sophy,_ I remind myself.

"Everyone imagine Thalia's pine tree!" I call out, heart racing. "On three! One, two, THREE!"

On three, I turn, pulling the rest of them in a whirl. For a moment, I feel my power weakening, but a memory throbs at the corner of my brain, pushing me forward. I let the memories surge, up and over - the strength I masquerade is gone. As hallucinations flicker in and out like clouds, I see Мама, pushing me down the alley, shadows looming behind her, a hand in the darkness. _Run, little lion! she screams. Run like the wind!_


	4. Chapter Three

Disclaimer: All characters, settings, or other story components taken from the Harry Potter, Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Heroes of Olympus, and Trials of Apollo series belongs to JK Rowling and Rick Riordan, respectively. I do not own any of the aforementioned. I do not intend to use this story commercially.

A/N: Greetings! This is the third chapter to The Worlds Before Us. For the sake of the rest of the plot, I have disregarded the general plot of the Trials of Apollo. Thus, the story will not be fully canon and you may recognize some components that do not hold with the new books. I apologize: I wrote this mainly before reading The Hidden Oracle. On that note, this story will contain general spoilers through The Blood of Olympus and will contain story components taken from The Deathly Hallows. I will try to get the next chapter published by next weekend, 13 and 14 May, but again, I might not be able to. Please read and review! (Thank you to _errydaymPurple, bad girl zainab,_ and _Articwolf4123_ for being so kind to leave reviews!)

* * *

I'm lying on my back somewhere. Everything is muddled … insubstantial. I can hear thumping footsteps. Voices ring out in a cacophony, floating back to me in fragmented pieces. I'm vaguely aware of sun on my eyes, and a horrible warmth near my abdomen. When someone scoops me up, my nerves prickle with fire, pain pooling in my stomach. All my thoughts swirl; running in circles - around, around, in circles, around, circles in a round, through and through and by and by until everything blends together into nothing.

* * *

I awake with a gasp, pain throbbing in my temples. My vision is blurred and warped, and it takes me a moment to blink it back into focus.

I'm lying on a cot, staring up at a whitewashed ceiling. The room smells sanitized and sterilized, like a Muggle doctor's office. When I turn my head, I see beds stretched out in a long room lined with windows on one side. I'm the only visitor - patient? - in the room, but there's space for plenty of people.

A door opens behind me. I turn my head to see a tall, blond boy turning to close a closet door, holding some sort of bottle.

"Hello?" I try to say, but my voice cracks and I end up coughing.

The boy turns on his heel at the sound of my voice and starts smoothly toward me.

"You're awake," he says in greeting, reaching for the chair by my bedside. "How are you feeling?"

"Thirsty," I tell him, my voice rasping. "And my side hurts."

He doesn't look surprised. "Here." He unscrews the lid of his flask, pouring some of it into a glass from my bedside table. "Can you drink this?"

I manage to take the cup. As soon as I take a sip, however, I spit the liquid back out into the glass. "Holy cricket!"

He raises an eyebrow, looking amused. "Does it taste odd to you?"

I stare at the cup and then back at him. "Sticky buns. How - no, _why?!"_

He laughs. "Drink it. It'll make you feel better. I promise."

I warily take a sip of the drink, swallowing it this time. I manage to finish half of it before I hand it back to him, the taste of sticky buns sweet in my mouth.

He takes the cup, setting it back down. "Feel better?"

"Actually, yes." The drink has sent fizzles of warmth through me, dulling the pain in my side. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." The boy stands up, reaching for the flask. "I'm Will," he says, offering his hand. I reach to shake it as he continues. "I'm the head of the infirmary here." He turns to put the flask back into the supply closet.

"I'm Sophy," I answer as he takes a familiar bag from the closet. Suddenly, I gasp and prop myself up on my elbows. "Liliya!"

"Sorry?" He puts my bag down by the nightstand.

"Liliya. My dog. Have you seen-"

"Frank's taking care of her," he reassures me. "She's perfectly fine, although she almost bit Percy."

"I apologize," I say, relieved. "She's a East-European Shepherd, a guard dog. She does that when she's angry. May I please see her?"

He shakes his head apologetically. "Sorry. No dogs in the infirmary."

"Oh." I lean back on the pillow. "So. Why exactly am I in here?" I assume I got Splinched, I just want to know the specifics.

"Your side," he says, pointing to a lump of bandages under my blouse. "It's like someone carefully sliced off an area of skin. The wound is perfectly round and smooth. I've never seen anything like it."

"Neither have I," I say truthfully. "Did anyone else get hurt?"

"Not as badly as you did," he says, sitting back down. "Thalia bruised her shin, but it's healed now. Leo lost a toenail, of all things. I can't imagine how. Everyone else is fine."

I sigh in relief. Thank goodness. I didn't accidentally kill anyone.

"What time is it?" I ask suddenly, noticing the sun outside. I was right; we are right by the ocean.

He checks his watch. "Just about noon. You've been in here for a little over a day."

 _A day! Amelie is going to kill me,_ I realize. _I've got to find a way to Owl her._

"Will!" An unfamiliar girl bursts through the infirmary door. "We need you for a moment on the archery range."

Will bounces to his feet. "Sure. Sophy, I'll be back in a minute. Will you be okay?"

I nod. "Of course. Go ahead."

He disappears after the girl, leaving me alone in the infirmary.

I breathe in the calm stillness, propping myself up on my elbows. The pain in my side has dulled remarkably, and it barely throbs when I sit up. Thirsty, I reach for the cup of liquified sticky buns. To my shock, it now tastes like pumpkin juice. _Is this some sort of flavor-changing health drink?_ I wonder, curious.

Careful not to disturb the injury, I slide my wand out of my pocket and flick it to magically remove the bandages. The wound looks surprisingly healed for only being a day old, but it still makes me cringe.

"Okay," I say to myself. I'm not stupid enough to take off while injured, but I don't want to be cooped up in this infirmary for days on end. So … "Accio Dittany."

The brown vial from my bag almost hits me in the face, but I manage to catch and uncork it. I squeeze a few drops onto my side, waving the cloud of green smoke away from my face. The injury looks several days older, I notice, and hurts far less.

Waving my wand, I replace the bandages. I reach for the cup on my bedside table, wondering what flavor the drink will be this time. It tastes like Yorkshire pudding, another food that shouldn't really be liquified.

Will reenters just as I'm setting down the empty glass. He's looking a bit annoyed, but his face relaxes a bit when he notices my empty glass.

"Good. You finished that." He reaches over to take the glass. "How are you feeling?"

With the combined effect of the health drink and the dittany, I'm feeling great. "Fantabulous," I tell him. "May I please get up now?"

He frowns. "You're injured. I don't think that's a good idea."

"At least check to see when I can," I plead. "Pretty please?"

He gets up to move to my other side, muttering something under his breath. I wait patiently as he undoes my bandages by hand, although I'm practically itching to get up and moving again.

Suddenly he stops and I turn to look at him. He's staring at my side, incredulous.

"So?" I prompt, trying not to grin.

He looks up at me and then back at my wound. "How the Hades did you heal so quickly?"

I feign innocence. "Did I?"

"Quite."

"Oh." I realize I'm twirling my hair around one finger and drop my hand to my lap. "Who knows? Maybe your weird health drink just worked really well."

He purses his lips. "Could be. At any rate, I'm still keeping you in here overnight, just to be safe. Are you hungry? You just missed lunch."

"A bit. Did you miss lunch, too?"

He shakes his head, reapplying the bandages. "No. I ate earlier. Do you want something to eat?"

"That would be great."

"'Kay. I'll be right back." He disappears through the door. I can distantly hear him calling to someone.

I reach for my wand, drawing it out of my pocket as quickly as possible. I really don't want to spend a whole other night in this hospital wing; I'm willing to risk a little more magic.

"Erm. Episkey." I tap my side. I can't feel anything happening. "Vulnus … oh, what was it? Vulnus san … erm … sanat! Vulnus sanat."

An odd prickling flows over my side. A mental image springs to mind of a layer of skin knitting itself into place. I repeat the spell for good luck before slipping my wand back into my pocket.

Will reenters the room just as I finish putting my wand away. His hair is all askew, as if it's windy outside. Swinging the closet door open again, he reaches for a flask.

"Nico's bringing you a bite to eat. He'll be here in a moment or two. You still doing okay?"

"I'm fine," I answer.

There's a minute of awkward silence, broken by the door opening. A short, dark-haired boy is standing in the doorway, holding a plate loaded with food. Will stands up to take the plate just as the boy - Nico? - opens his mouth.

"Sophy, I'm so, so sorry you're injured, I never should've said that I could take everyone back because obviously I couldn't because you're hurt and I misjudged and it's my fault for trying to come all this way and I'm an idiot for it because now you got injured and everyone else is all shaken up and I am a dunce head for trying to make this whole journey and -

I try to interrupt, "Nico, it wasn't strictly your fault-"

"-and I know my limits and I have no idea what made me think I could travel from the freaking _Scottish Highlands_ all the way here-"

"-Nico, just _calm down-"_

"-I mean, what if we'd never made it out? I'd never forgive myself if you lot died and it was my fault and Hades, we _could've_ died and it would've been my fault and-"

"Nico, shut _up_ and let me talk, Merlin, won't you-"

"-and you deserve a huge apology because you were completely blameless and you still got injured-"

"Nico, please shut up! Nico!"

"-and I'm sorry, really sorry, so sorry-"

"NICO! WILL YOU SHUT IT?"

He freezes in mid sentence. Will, now holding the plate of food, is looking at us with vague amusement.

I lean back slightly with a sigh. " _Thank_ you. Your apology is accepted. Although I would argue it's not strictly your fault, seeing as how I asked to come," he opens his mouth to argue, "but I'll leave it be. For now. Thanks for the food, by the way."

He blinks at me. "Um, you're welcome?"

Will grins at Nico. "Speaking of food, have you eaten yet today?"

Nico rolls his eyes, exasperated. "Uh-huh."

"Really eaten? A full, healthy meal?"

"Yes."

"With actual healthy stuff like fruits and veggies?"

" _Yes._ "

"And you finished it all?"

" _Yes,_ mother dearest. I ate all my fruits and veggies. Oh, and I've got to go now. I'll see you when your shift ends."

Will jumps up to follow Nico out the door calling, "Breakfast _and_ lunch? Nico? _Nico? Did you eat both breakfast and lunch?"_

I'm almost certain Nico blew Will a raspberry on his way out the door.

* * *

A few hours pass, along with one meal, two cups of flavor-changing drink, a few discreet spells, and a lot of persuasion. Finally, Will agrees to let me out of the infirmary.

"You have to drop in after dinner," he tells me firmly as I tie my shoelaces. "And no running or rock-climbing or anything else strenuous. Understand?"

"Of course," I say, tugging the laces secure.

"Excellent. Oh, and just to be safe, if Leo asks you to hold something, it's probably not a good idea."

I digest this morsel of information, a bit bemused. "Okay?"

"Let's see. I think that covers everything necessary."

I sling my bag over my shoulder, contemplating the classification of the Leo warning as _necessary._ "Marvellous."

Will turns to the window, squinting in the glare of the sun. "I'm going to introduce you to Chiron, our activities director. He'll get you oriented. I'll see you at dinner at the latest."

"See you, too." I stand and follow Will out the door and into a wallpapered hallway. He leads me around a corner, through a foyer, and onto a wrap-around porch.

"Hello, Will," a voice says, making me jump. To our left sits a man in a wheelchair, turned to face the water. "And you must be Sophy."

"Yes," I say, reaching to shake his hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"And you," the man - Chiron - says amicably. "Thank you, Will, for taking care of Sophy."

"You're perfectly welcome," Will says, backing up toward the door. "See you, Chiron."

Chiron gives Will a nod as he disappears back inside. "Sophy. Would you like to pull up a chair?"

"Sure," I say, taking a chair from a nearby table and placing it next to Chiron.

"So. Sophy." Chiron turns to me. "How much have Will and the others told you so far?"

"Not much, I say honestly. "I know your name is Chiron. I know that Nico can do a travelling-thingamabobber. I know that you have a strange flavor-changing health drink, and I know that your campers use Crusades-era weapons to kill giant dog-monsters. And that pretty much sums it all up."

"I see." Chiron looks out over the camp, apparently lost in thought. Suddenly, he turns back to me. "Sophy, have you ever heard of the Greek gods?"

I blink in surprise. _Greek gods?_ "Er, yes. I have. Why?"

Chiron takes a slow breath in. "Sophy, I am afraid there is no complex way to say this. Gods, whom you call Greek gods, are still very much extant and alive in our modern world today."

I almost laugh. "Alive. The Greek gods were myths, stories to explain natural phenomenons. Stories are not _alive."_

Chiron gives a small sigh, as if he's used to this response. "But the gods are not merely stories, Sophy. They are living entities - strong, powerful, and very influential." He waves an arm at the sprawling view of camp. "This camp exists solely for that the gods are in existence. If not for the gods, none of this would be here."

I frown and he continues. "This is a camp for demigods, Sophy. Half-gods, half-bloods. Children of the Greek gods and mortals. Every camper you've met so far is a demigod, Sophy. One of their parents is a mortal human. The other is a Greek god."

I sit in silence, contemplating this statement. One half of my mind is screaming, _NO! This is not possible. This cannot be true. This is utter madness!_ However, something in me knows that what Chiron is telling me is true. Why else would the blond girl have asked me about my parents? How else would I be able to fly? What other explanation is there for the giant-dog monster in the woods? I don't know which is more unnerving, that Chiron is telling me this or that it all is clicking together like clockwork.

I stand up and lean on the railing, watching the surf crash on the distant beach.

"Let's say you're right," I propose softly, eyes on the water. "Every camper here is a half-god. Are they all like Heracles, from the legends? Extremely strong and slightly lacking in brains?"

Chiron laughs, rolling his wheelchair up to the railing. "Thankfully, no. A campful of Heracleses - Heraclesi? - would be a handful. However, you were on the right track. Every camper here inherits some traits and abilities from their godly parent. For instance, Will Solace, whose father is Apollo, is an excellent medic."

I suck on my bottom lip, thinking. "Alright. So, if the Greek gods are real, are all of the other Greek myths true as well?"

Chiron nods. "Exactly. With the Greek gods come the Greek monsters."

"Like the giant dog monster," I recall. "It would have been…"

"A hellhound," Chiron says, "which is quite foreboding, considering hellhounds can only be summoned from the Fields of Punishment."

"Yeesh," I mutter. "Joy of joys."

Chiron gives a slight chuckle. "Quite. Now. As I was saying, this is a camp for demigods. We call it Camp Half-Blood. The camp is - for lack of better word - invisible to the mortal eye - not that mortals cannot get past the barriers on occasion. The camp is surrounded by a magical boundary, the core of which lies at Thalia's pine tree at the top of Half-Blood Hill, the main entrance to camp." He points to a lone pine tree at the top of a hill to our right. "The camp is not only home to demigods, as I mentioned, but also satyrs."

"Oh, they're real, too?" I blurt out, remembering the half-goat creatures from one of Matt's picture books. "Sorry. Please continue."

"The camp is also home to satyrs, partly due to the fact that Mr. D is the camp director."

"Mr. D?"

Chiron takes in a breath. "You would know him as Dionysus."

"The god of wine. What is he doing at a summer camp?"

Chiron makes a slight face. "He took a fancy to a wood nymph his father had declared off-limits. As a way of punishment, who was sent here."

"But … but isn't Dionysus married?"

Chiron simply raises an eyebrow.

"I thought Zeus was the one with all the affair thingies," I say, trying to piece together what I know.

Above us, the sky rumbles with thunder. I look up, but there isn't a cloud in sight.

"That is a bit of a touchy subject," Chiron says lightly. "I wouldn't go around throwing, ah, accusations."

I look up at the sky and shout, "Stop grumbling so much when you know it's true! It's not my fault you go chasing after every other pretty girl out there!"

More thunder. Chiron raises an eyebrow at me.

"Sorry. It _is_ true."

"Yes, I know," Chiron says with a sigh. "Now. I believe you are ready for a tour of camp?"

I hop down off of the railing. "Sure. Thank you, Mr. Chiron."

He waves a hand. "Just Chiron, and you are quite welcome."

* * *

A few minutes later, I'm following the blond girl, Annabeth, away from the porch where Chiron still sits. She's reintroduced herself and brought me an orange camp shirt, and now I'm ready to go.

"So there's the Big House," she says, turning around to point at the building we just left. I turn around, taking in the general _blue_ ness of the farm house. "That's where Chiron and Mr. D stay. That's also where the infirmary is. We hold meetings there, too."

She turns and I follow her toward Half-Blood Hill. "Here's the volleyball court," she says unnecessarily, pointing to our right. "Up in front of us is Half-Blood Hill and Thalia's pine, the main entrance and exit from camp. Beyond that is mortal Long Island."

"Okay," I say, staring at the towering pine tree.

"If we come this way," she continues, turning around, "we're going to go by Arts and Crafts. Feel free to come by in your free time, there's a lot of really neat projects there."

I nod, taking in the sight of the marble building.

"And we're going to come this way," Annabeth says, leading me back toward the Big House. "I think I'll have time to show you the strawberry fields before it's time for dinner."

I follow her as she points out the canoe lake in the distance. "I'll show you the cabins on our way to dinner," Annabeth reassures me as I catch sight of an odd array of buildings. "Now, up here is the forge. That's where Cabin 9, the children of Hephaestus, work. They make the majority of the camp's weapons."

I nod, watching the steam rising from the building. "Can we go in?"

She checks her wristwatch. "Maybe. We're cutting it close; dinner will start in about twenty minutes. Oh, and the armory is back behind the forge. I'll take you there tomorrow to get your own weapons."

"My _own_ weapons?"

"Of course," she says, turning to look at me. "All demigods need to learn to protect themselves. That's why this place exists; so Chiron can train us."

"Chiron." Suddenly, something clicks. "Chiron isn't _the_ Chiron? From the stories? The centaur who trained Jason and Heracles and Perseus?"

"The one and only," Annabeth says matter-of-factly. "The wheelchair is just for first encounters and going out into the mortal world."

"Wow. Okay. Oh, what's that?"

Annabeth turns to look. "Just a pegasus."

" _The_ Pegasus?"

"No, one of his offspring. We call all winged horses pegasi. And just beyond there is the pegasus stables."

I nod, trying to keep track of all the new information. Annabeth looks a bit sympathetic. "It's okay. This is a ton to take in in one afternoon. Oh, watch out for the strawberries!"

She pulls me away. I look down to see rows of low plants covering the hillsides.

"Why do you have _strawberries?"_

"To pay the bills. We sell them to restaurants in the city."

"Oh." I watch a boy in an orange shirt filling a basket with red berries. When he stands up, I start; from waist down, he looks to be some sort of animal.

"A satyr," Annabeth says in my ear, leading me by the arm.

I nod, tearing my shocked gaze away.

"And we'd better head this way; dinner's going to start soon," Annabeth says, pointing in the direction of the sea.

We walk toward the forge and the cabins beyond. Just as Annabeth opens her mouth to point out something or other, we hear calls behind us.

A group of campers is running our way from the stables. I recognize the blond boy from the Forbidden Forest. One of the boys, who sports dark hair, catches up first.

"Percy!" Annabeth explains, wrapping an arm around him. "Percy, meet Sophy. I'm giving her a tour. Sophy, this is Percy Jackson, my boyfriend."

"Hi," I say. "Nice to meet you."

"You, too," he says. He's about to say something else, but we're interrupted by a blur of fur.

"Liliya!" I exclaim, wrapping my arms around her. She's licking my face, tail wagging madly. "I missed you!"

She barks, letting me stand back up.

"She missed you, too," another boy says, jogging to join us. "I'm Frank, by the way. She kept trying to get into the Big House. It was a real job to keep her out."

"Thank you for taking care of her," I say sincerely.

"Anytime. I like dogs."

"I did once," Percy groused. "I don't like them so much when they're trying to bite me."

"I am sorry about that," I apologize.

"Hey, Annabeth!" a voice calls, and the rest of the group is catching up to us. Annabeth runs through a blur of names: JasonPiperHazelLeoThaliaCalypsoandRachel. I smile and wave, a bit overwhelmed, as we turn to continue on our way.

As we walk, Annabeth points out the practice arena, a Coliseum-like building, and the woods, which I am Never To Go Into Alone And Unarmed. The other teens chime in their own additions and stories, laughing and at ease.

"What's going on with these cabins?" I ask, pointing at the cluster of cabins we're just passing. Up close, the buildings are even stranger; each appears to be custom-designed. One is almost glowing. Another looks like it's been pulled from the ocean; a third appears to be a smaller version of the forge.

Since Annabeth is talking with Percy, a girl with braids answers. "They're each for the children of a different god or goddess, so each is designed according to that. Like that one there," and she points to the ocean-ish cabin, "is for the children of Poseidon. That's where Percy stays. And Cabin 5," she points to a red cabin outfitted with barbed wire, "is Ares. God of war."

"Which cabin is yours?" I ask, entranced with a cabin made entirely out of flowers.

"Cabin 10. Aphrodite." She directs my gaze to a cute cabin with a blue roof. "She's my mom. My dad … have you heard of Tristan McLean?"

"Never heard of him," I say honestly, and she looks a bit relieved.

"That's perfectly fine. This cabin here is for Athena," she says, pointing to a neat grey building. "Cabin 6. That one there is Cabin 4, Demeter." I nod as she indicates the plant-covered cabin I noticed before. "And way back there are Cabins 1 and 2, Zeus and Hera."

I turn to look back at the first two cabins, a pair of huge marble buildings. The one on the left looks a bit more masculine than the second, which has delicate columns and designs.

"Do all of the gods have demigod children?"

She shakes her head. "Not all. Hera doesn't, being the goddess of marriage. Artemis doesn't either." She points to a graceful, almost silvery cabin. "Their cabins are just honorary, although the Hunters of Artemis occasionally come to stay in Cabin 8."

"Oh." I walk along beside the girl, who continues to point out the remainder of the cabins: the ramshackle Cabin 11, a foreboding cabin she attributes to Nemesis, the simple Cabin 13 for Hades. As we pass the last row of cabins, a horn blows, echoing around the hills.

"That's the call for dinner," Annabeth says from behind me. "Let's go."

We're joined by a mass of campers who flood from the cabins, the stables, the forge, and even a few from the woods. I jump when a young girl, maybe only nine years old, melts straight out of a tree and joins the crush of teens.

"Dryad," a blond boy - is he called Jason? - tells me. "Don't worry."

"Oh. Okay," I say, feeling a bit confused.

"Are you liking camp so far?" another voice chimes in, and a girl steps up to my right. I recognize her from her red hair: Rachel.

"I think so. Everything is a bit overwhelming," I respond. _And I need to figure out how to Owl Amelie and what exactly I'm going to do about this whole new world._

"I get that. I was so confused when I first came here," Rachel laughs. "I kept turning around and around: What's that? How about this? I think I drove Percy nuts."

I laugh, too. "You're a camper, too, right? What cabin are you in?"

She shakes her head. "I'm not a demigod, no. I'm the camp oracle. I technically go to boarding school in Connecticut, but I come to camp during the summer.

"The camp _what,_ exactly?"

"Oracle," she says. "The Oracle of Delphi. Its spirit passes from maiden to maiden. I've been the oracle for, oh, about two years."

"Oh. Okay," I repeat.

"Here we are!" Annabeth says, coming up to my left. "Here's the mess hall."

Ahead of us is an open-air, Greek-style pavilion overlooking the water. Campers are filing in and sitting down at different tables. As we approach, Frank breaks off to go find a table, as does other members of our little group. From what I can tell by appearances, campers are sitting according to their cabins, although there are a few exceptions.

"Um," I ask, "where should I…"

"Come this way," Rachel says, tugging me over to a table at the end of the rows. Percy and Nico are already sitting there, as is a blond boy and the spiky-haired girl. "The Big Three table," she says as a way of explanation. "Zeus, Poseidon and Hades."

"Hi, Rachel," Nico says, looking up from his conversation with Percy. "And hi, Sophy."

"Hello, Nico," she says cheerily, sliding down onto the bench. "If Chiron asks why we're sitting here, I desperately needed to educate Sophy on the fundamentals of camp and the most recent events in demigod history and I desperately needed your help to do so."

"Yeesh," I say without thinking, and they laugh.

"Sophy, you've met Jason and Thalia?" Nico says, gesturing to the boy and girl farther down the table.

"No. I haven't. It's nice to meet you," I reach across the table to shake their hands.

"I'm Jason," the blond boy greets me. "And this is Thalia. Thalia, like the tree."

She gives him a little whap. "It's nice to meet you, Sophy. I'm Thalia. Jason and I are both Cabin 1. Are you still undetermined?"

I pause, unsure how to respond.

"Do you know your godly parent?" Nico rephrases.

"Do I have one?" I return, apprehensive.

"You couldn't have consumed ambrosia and nectar if you don't have one," Nico points out.

"Oh. Then yes, I'm undetermined."

"That's cool," Jason assures me. "Anyway, welcome to camp, Sophy." He raises an empty cup.

Rachel laughs and echoes, "Welcome!"


	5. Chapter Four

Disclaimer: All characters, settings, or other story components taken from the Harry Potter, Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Heroes of Olympus, or Trials of Apollo series belong to J.K. Rowling and Rick Riordan, respectively. I do not own any of the aforementioned. I do not intend to use this story commercially.

A/N: Hello, hello! As promised, this is the 5th installment to "The Worlds Before Us." This chapter contains spoilers, per usual. I'll try to get the next chapter up by next weekend (20-21 May) but there is a chance I won't. Please read and review! (Thanks also to _Insubstancial Cookies_ for reviewing!)

P.S: This chapter is dedicated to my mom: Mother's Day is tomorrow and I included some sentimental mentions of Sophy's mom in this chapter. Happy Mother's Day!

* * *

The sound of hooves clacking on marble interrupts their words of welcome. I almost jump when a voice speaks from behind me.

"Ah, Sophy. I see you have made some friends?"

I turn to answer Chiron and almost jump out of my skin again. The activities director is towering over me, no longer in a wheelchair. He's still wearing his tweed jacket, but from waist down …

"Annabeth did tell you I am, ah, not confined to that wheelchair?"

Remembering, I nod. "Oh. Yes. She did. And, um, yes. I, ah, have." I flush a bit out of the embarrassment of my inarticulateness.

He smiles and nods. "That's good. Enjoy your meal."

"You, too."

He continues on his way to the open space at the front of the pavilion. With a stamp of his foot, he silences the chattering campers. Once silence has fallen, he raises a glass in salute.

"To the gods!" he calls.

"To the gods!" the campers echo, raising their cups as well.

"To the gods," I murmur belatedly, reaching for my cup.

As the campers set down their glasses, more _dryads,_ the green-skinned girls, come forward from the edges of the pavilion with platters of food. I fill a plate for myself and carefully select some foods for Liliya: cheese, apple slices, a few baby carrots. To my surprise, a young nymph taps me on the shoulder; she's holding a small plate of cooked chicken for Liliya. I give her a huge grin and a _Bolshoye spasibo_ \- thank you very much. She smiles at me as she sets down the plate.

As I notice the lack of drink pitchers, Nico leans across the table to me. "You tell your glass what you want to drink. It'll fill with whatever you tell it to."

I smile, thinking of Hogwarts and its magically-filling platters. "Butterbeer," I murmur into my cup. It doesn't fill with the drink; instead, it glows brilliant red before fading once again to simple crystal.

He raises an eyebrow. "Except if that something is alcoholic…"

I blush as Rachel and Jason turn to look at me. I try again with pumpkin juice, and this time, I'm successful. I'm starting to get a little bit homesick for Hogwarts, where even if everything was absolutely crazy, it was still in a range of _normal._

I'm about to start eating when everyone begins to rise, leaving the tables and heading for the fire in the center of the pavilion. I rise, too, taking my plate with me.

"Offerings for the gods," Jason explains as we move forward in the crush of campers.

An automatic protest about wasting food springs to my mind, but I nod instead. _If the gods are real,_ I remind myself, _it won't be a waste._

I take a slice of my bread into one hand, waiting for my turn. I carefully drop it in, sending up a silent acknowledgement: _To the father I never knew. Oh, and still don't know. I hope you aren't gluten-free._

"Excuse me," I say, trying to make my way back through the crowd to my seat. After a bit of a struggle, I squeeze through the crowd and sit back down beside Rachel.

"So, Sophy," she says as I reach for my goblet. "Exactly how much do you know about the Greek gods?"

I tip my head, thinking. "I know a little bit. I had a picture book when I was learning English.. _Aphrodite was the goddess of love! She was pretty! Athena was the goddess of wisdom! She was smart!_ It wasn't really that educational."

She laughs. "I would guess not. We should probably fill you in a bit, then. Okay. Let's start with the gods."

Rachel spends the rest of the meal speed-teaching me about the gods and the camp. I have to tell her countless times to slow down and elaborate, although I eventually give in and try to keep up. She flies through the basics of the gods and Western Civilization, and then starts on the recent camp history. I try to digest her stories of the Titan War discovering the Romans in Camp Jupiter and subsequently going to war with them, Prophecy of Seven, the Seven's voyage to Rome and Greece, and finally defeating Gaia and coming to peace with Camp Jupiter. She's just finished telling me about Leo's return to camp with Calypso when we hear Chiron pounding his hoof for attention.

"Now," he says, smiling. "I hope you all have enjoyed your meal. Now, if you would please tune your ears for a few announcements?"

He nods to another table farther down the pavilion. With a surprisingly audible sigh, another figure slowly stands. I blink when a short, pudgy man in an awful floral-print shirt steps around the table to address the camp.

"That's Mr. D," Nico whispers, leaning across the table. "Dionysus. The camp director."  
"He doesn't look very godly," I mutter back.

"He is. Don't underestimate Mr. D," Nico warns me. "Really. It usually ends badly."

Across the mess hall, Mr. D is shifting on his feet with an air of annoyance. "I suppose I should say hello to you annoying brats. Hello. As Chiron has reminded me, our next Capture the Flag will apparently be tomorrow. Cabin Six holds the laurels, hooray, hooray." A table of (mostly) blond campers lets out a cheer. I see Annabeth sitting among them. "I couldn't care less, but congratulations," Mr. D continues. "Also, we've gained another little brat to add to your numbers. Sylvia Armstrong. Or something like that."

I look around for a moment for the other new camper before Rachel elbows me in the ribs and I notice campers turning to look a me. "Oh, do you mean me? My name is Sophy Alkaev. Not Sylvia Armstrong."

"Whatever." He rolls his eyes. "Go on, then. Off to your ridiculous campfire. Go on."

Everyone gets up, leaving the dirty plates on the tables. I hop up too, reaching down for Liliya's leash from where she's sitting under the table. Following Rachel, I make my way with the rest of the camp out of the pavilion and to this _campfire._

* * *

The campers trek across the fields, past the canoe lake and to the part of camp I haven't seen yet. Rachel keeps up a steady description of different landmarks we're passing. Finally, we reach a marble amphitheater built into a hillside. The campers are filing in the rows, probably by cabin again. I follow Rachel down to the very center of the amphitheater, where she makes her way around a glowing campfire to sit on a front-row bench. A bit daunted by the number of campers sitting behind and above me, I sit next to her.

As everyone is seated and the camp fall silent, a group of campers rise and make their way down the steps to the amphitheater floor. Most of them are holding guitars and some weird sort of handheld harp instrument. Rachel just has time to inform me that this is Cabin 7, Apollo's children, before the campers strike up a chord and burst into song.

Without missing a beat, the rest of the camp chimes along, and I suddenly realize that I've found my way into a sing-along. The words of the song are unfamiliar - something about putting on armor? The tune sounds vaguely familiar, but I'm sure these aren't the words I know. I sit, absentmindedly scratching Liliya behind her ears and humming along. On my other side, Jason and Thalia are getting into the song, sometimes pushing or whapping one another as different body parts are mentioned per each piece of armor. As the song progresses, the campfire begins to grow higher and higher, changing colors like Parvati's mood earrings. Just as the fire is turning gold, the song ends and the campers, amidst much laughter, file back to their seats.

When the campers are sitting back down, Chiron clip-clops to the center of the amphitheater floor, an enormous bag of marshmallows in one hand. He passes them to Rachel, who takes a handful and passes it to me. I copy her and hand the sweets to Jason.

"Campers!" Chiron says. "Excellent singing. Now, if we could please give a warm welcome to our newest camper, Sophy Alkaev?" He waves his hand, indicating for me to stand.

I shakily rise to my feet, a bit nervous. Liliya lifts her head up as I stand, give the camp a little wave, and sit quickly back down again.

"She's way older than thirteen!" someone yells in the back. "Why hasn't she been claimed yet?" As soon as the words leave his mouth, pandemonium erupts in the amphitheater. I shrink back a bit, but Rachel quickly reiterates her earlier explanation of the gods' promise to claim their children before the age of thirteen.

"Maybe I'm not a demigod?" I press again, but she just gives me a look.

Chiron is trying to calm the crowd down, but he's not having any luck. _Lovely,_ I think guiltily. _I just provoked complete mayhem._ Liliya is stirring by my feet; I reach down to scratch behind her ears again.

"Hold on, Lils," I whisper to her. "I'm still here."

The noise is starting to bother me, and I'm starting to feel sorry for Chiron. Bracing myself for the attention, I put two fingers in my mouth and whistle - really, _really_ loudly. The noise cuts through the din like a gunshot. Everyone quiets immediately, staring at me. I self-consciously take my fingers out of my mouth.

"I think you just got the attention of every taxi in Manhattan," someone remarks, sparking several laughs.

"Thank you, Sophy," Chiron says. "Now. Like Damien has pointed out, Sophy has not been claimed yet, although we don't know why."

The campers are turning and muttering to one another. Apparently this is big news.

"How do you tell?" I ask, the whispers quieting as the words leave my mouth. "How do you know who your godly parent is?" This was one point Rachel left out of her high-speed summary.

"They claim you," Annabeth calls out from across the amphitheater. "Usually they send a hologram, a glowing symbol that appears over your head. Sometimes they do other things. It depends."

I shift in my seat. "How long does it take?"

There's a moment before someone answers. This time, it's the girl with braids, who's sitting under a big banner with a dove emblazoned on it. "Again, it depends. But you should've been claimed already. The gods promised to claim all of their children before the age of thirteen. You're … what? Sixteen?"

"Yeah." I nod. "But maybe I don't have a godly parent. Maybe that's why I haven't been claimed."

I don't know why I'm so adamant against being a demigod. It would certainly make things easier right now if I just accepted it and moved on. But for some reason, all of my instincts are screaming at me to keep pushing the topic, to keep denying it.

Rachel gives me a look and Chiron opens his mouth to explain, but before either of them respond, a voice chimes in from up above us.

"You could be right." Everyone turns to see a pretty Asian girl leaning forward from the other side of the dove banner. "I mean, who knows?" Piper's giving the girl a death glare, but she still continues. "One thing's for sure. If you _are_ a demigod, you definitely aren't in Cabin 10. Honestly, hon, who even wears that kind of pants anymore? Do you usually dress like you're disassembling parts of a business suit?"

Around the amphitheater, campers are starting to mutter how yeah, my outfit does look a bit like a business suit. Even Annabeth is studying me with an eyebrow raised.

I feel my blood starting to rush to my cheeks. My pants are from my school uniform; they aren't _that_ bad!

"Being in Cabin 10," I snap, "I would expect you to be able to tell the difference between school uniform slacks and a business suit." The girl stiffens, obviously insulted. I know I should feel a bit sorry, but I don't care. "And, I'm sorry, but I'd choose these over what _you're_ wearing. Are you sure those are long enough to count as shorts?"

The girl splutters, indignant. Behind me, I hear Thalia snickering.

"Okay, okay!" I hear, and Annabeth is squeezing past the campers in her row to join Chiron next to the campfire, which has turned a livid red. "Drew, please sit down. Remember," she says pointedly, "we need to make new campers feel welcome."

It sounds like this isn't the first time this Drew girl has heard this. With a glare thrown my way, she sits back down.

"Okay. Back to you, Sophy," Annabeth says, turning to me. "I remember when we first met, you mentioned that it was your father-"

"Yes," I clarify quickly. "I only knew my mother."

"And," Jason says slowly from my left, "in the woods, you flew." He sounds almost reluctant to bring the topic up again.

I bite my lip as pandemonium erupts again. Rachel is leaning behind me to hear the full story from Hazel and Nico, Chiron is turning to Annabeth in surprise.

This time, I remember what Rachel told me. _The Pact of the Big Three, their promise not to have any more kids. My godly parent is male. I can fly. Oh, Merlin help me._

I open my mouth to say something, I don't know what, but a blindingly golden light fills the amphitheater before I can say anything. I step back instinctively but I trip over Liliya's leash and go sprawling back. Catching myself on my elbows, I look up and gasp.

My vision is completely filled by a translucent lightning bolt, emitting that glowing golden light.  
Immediately, my mind jumps to Harry's lightning bolt scar. But somehow, I can tell that this bolt is fuller and less foreboding. _The symbol of Zeus,_ a little voice in my head. _You just got claimed. By Zeus. The King of the Gods._

I hear Chiron speaking from somewhere above me. "Hail, Sophy Alkaev," he announces. "Daughter of Zeus, god of lightning, Lord of the Sky, King of the Gods."

I sit up awkwardly, the lightning-bolt bobbing up to hover above my head. I redden when I realize that the camp is _kneeling._ Everyone has gotten up from the benches and knelt, including Chiron. _Is this normal?_ I wonder nervously. _Does being the daughter of Zeus make me some sort of a princess? Because I don't want to be a princess._

As soon as the thought enters my mind, Mama's voice echoes in my head, repeating the words she uttered to me over a decade ago. _Hold your chin high, little lion. Confidence will carry you far. You come from a centuries-long line of princesses. There. See? You are a princess._

Leaning on one palm, I push my hair out of my eyes and lift my chin up a little. The strangeness and unfamiliarity of the situation hits me like a brick, and I suddenly want to cry. _I miss you,_ _Мама,_ I think nostalgically. _I wish you were here. You always knew what to do._

The campers are rising again, settling back down in their seats. Rachel gives me a hand in untangling Liliya's leash and standing back up.

"Daughter of Zeus, huh?" Jason says as I sit back down on the bench. "Welcome to Cabin 1." He offers me his hand and I tentatively shake it. "My dad is Zeus - well, technically Jupiter. Thalia's your half-sibling, too."

"Really?" I ask, feeling a bit dizzy.

"Truly," she says. "But I'm staying in Cabin 8 - I'm a Hunter of Artemis." She's about to say something else, but I hold up a hand.

"Did you hear that?" I'm certain I heard something. It was nearly unintelligible from the chatter of the campers, but I'm certain.

Jason frowns. "No."

"Shh." I stand up, turning to face the woods across camp. Then, louder, "EVERYONE BE QUIET!"

The campers hush immediately, staring at me. Annabeth's hand has flown to a sword at her belt, and a few campers are half on their feet.

I slowly start up the stairs, but break into a sprint when the sound reaches my ears again.

I stand at the top of the stairs, facing the forest. All of my nerves are jangling, and a strange panicky feeling is creeping through my bones.

"Who heard that?" I ask, whipping around to face the amphitheater. Behind me, more campers are reaching for their weapons, still staring at me. I hear it again and this time, it's loud enough that I know they did, too.

With a shaking whimper, Liliya scrambles to her feet down below me. She's quivering head to tail, and with a start, she turns to cower underneath one of the benches. _She's never been this terrified,_ I think, _not even during a thunderstorm._

" _What,"_ I say, voice shaking, "have you got in that forest?"

No one answers. The faces of the campers below me are a mass of fear, intensity, and utter confusion. No one has heard this before.

I turn, one hand on a marble pillar, as a string of sounds echoes through the night. I hear the faintest of shuffling sounds, like that of a large animal squeezing past underbrush. It's accompanied by a familiar - _terrifyingly_ familiar - clacking noise, a strange clicking sound that I can't place. As I stand, the wind rustling my hair, the clacking is broken by a long call - a wild, feral, timeless cry that makes my blood run cold. It's answered by another cry, wild and inhuman.

For not the first time in my life, I stand frozen as my instincts repeat and repeat: _Something is wrong. This isn't right. Something is totally, terribly, irrevocably wrong._


	6. Chapter Five

Disclaimer: All characters, settings, or other story components taken from the Harry Potter, Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Heroes of Olympus, or Trials of Apollo series belong to J.K. Rowling and Rick Riordan, respectively. I do not own any of the aforementioned. I do not intend to use this story commercially.

A/N: Hello! I apologize posting this later than expected. This chapter contains content from the Chamber of Secrets and the Son of Neptune. I will try to get the next chapter out by next weekend, 27 and 28 May, but, as this week has shown me, I might not be able to! Any thoughts you have about my story would be greatly appreciated. Please read and review!

* * *

Everyone stands frozen, petrified by those cries. Suddenly, everyone bursts into movement. I stand at the top of the steps with a feeling of lonely detachment, watching the campers. Everyone is doing _something -_ putting on armor, checking weapons, finding friends. A small pool of campers are gathering on the amphitheater floor around Chiron. I spot Annabeth and Rachel in their midst.

As I lean against the pillar, my eyes catch on Liliya, who is still huddled under the bench. Like a firework blast, memories explode through my mind. My view of the amphitheater flickers into a mirage of memories: _a small, dusty room papered with cobwebs … a murky forest … the world swooping upside-down as a horrid clicking breaks the silence._

 _Liliya huddling under my bed as I hunt her attacker with a tissue._

 _The biggest pair of milky-white eyes I've ever seen._

With a shake of my head, I pull myself back to the present. I've pressed my back against the pillar, staring at my feet.

Not centimeters from my trainers is a tiny spider.

Suddenly, everything falls into place. I push myself away from the column, scrambling down the stairs.

"Sophy!" Annabeth calls, just as I miss a step and go sprawling down the last few steps. For the second time that evening, I land on the cold marble floor of the amphitheater. I push myself up on my elbows, blowing my hair out of my face. The girl with the braids offers me a hand, and I let her help me up.

"Sorry about that," Annabeth says. "Are you okay?"

"Yes," I respond, brushing off my jeans. "You called?"

"Let's cut to the chase," Thalia says from behind Rachel. "That _something_ in the woods is not supposed to be there. We have never heard anything like it. As far as we can tell, that call does not come from any monster - or creature - that any of us, including Chiron, has ever even heard of."

"That's problematic," a curly-haired boy. I think he's named Lee, or something similar. Thalia sends him an annoyed look.

"It could be that this isn't harmful to us," another girl - Hazel - suggests.

"It is," I assure her, my head aching from the barrage of memories. "Very much s-"

"You know what it is?!" Annabeth interrupts, turning to face me. "But-"

"Just go with it," Rachel advises perceptively. "You were saying?"

I pause for a second, carefully considering my words. "These creatures are a, er, peculiar species of -"

Another call ricochets through the night, causing my last word to fall upon a completely silent camp.

"-spiders."

"Spiders?" Annabeth echoes apprehensively. I can detect something in her voice, and the same thing in the faces a number of campers.

"Spiders," I clarify in a small voice.

Annabeth blows a strand of hair out of her face, adjusting the sheathed sword on her belt. "I am so _done_ with giant spiders!"

"I apologize."

From beside Annabeth, Percy shakes his head. "But how? I already killed the one giant spider that exists. Arachne."

I stifle my glare. "Just because Greek mythology exists doesn't mean that everything must therefore come from Greek mythology."

I receive a few skeptical - and a few wary - glances.

"And so therefore you know something specific about the origin of these so-called _giant spiders_?" I turn to see Nico crouching beside Liliya, gently scratching behind her ears. He waves his hand in a circle, prompting me forward.

 _Nico is very observant_ , I decide, filing the information in my corner of my mind. Tilting my head slightly, I consider how to phrase what I know without breaking the International Statute of Secrecy.

"I live near where you met me in Scotland, yes?" I begin. "In those woods, we have an, erm, animal sanctuary of sorts. We provide a home for a whole array of different, um, exotic creatures. I mean, exotic to the point of being a bit _supernatural._ Among these creatures are a sort of giant spiders called acromantulas. From what I remember, they were bred as a sort of watchdog … watch-spider? At any rate, they're carnivorous. I almost got eaten once." I shudder slightly.

Annabeth is looking noticeably green. "How giant are these … acromantulas?" She sounds apprehensive. Apparently, Cabin 6 has a spider phobia.

"Well," I say slowly, "that depends. The - er - head of the colony we have is over fifteen feet long. He and his mate are the biggest. The others vary. Dog-sized, maybe? Horse-sized?"

Annabeth turns greener.

"Well?" One girl steps around Percy. She's holding a spear that's crackling with electricity. "How do you suggest we deal with them?"

" _Deal_ with them?" I say impulsively, my instinct to protect all living creatures overriding my common sense.

"Do you seriously think I'm letting two giant spiders run around my camp?"

I feel a pang, thinking of how Hagrid risked everything to raise Aragog. "These - these are living, sentient creatures! They form families, they have tremendous loyalty to their each other, they-"

"Don't spiders catch flies to suck out their insides?" Jason points out helpfully. "And you said these spiders are carnivorous and the size of horses. Maybe they'd try to to catch us and suck out _our_ ins-"

Annabeth whips around, fire in her eyes. "Shut. The Hades. Up."

Jason wisely takes several steps back.

"Annabeth sends him a murderous glare and turns back to me. "So. How do we get rid of them?"

"I - um - actually, I don't know." I feel my blood rushing to my cheeks.

She sighs. "Do you know anything?" At _all?"_

I bite my lip. "We'd have to find them first, and that's hard in itself. They're very fast and extremely hard to kill."

The girl with the spear looks doubtful. "Can't we just shoot them?"

"I don't know." I remember in our second year, when Harry, Ron, and I found the acromantulas in the Forbidden Forest. I tried to hex one, but the spell bounced off. "They have _really_ tough hides."

"Great." She looks annoyed. "Fast and bulletproof."

"What do you think, Sophy?" Annabeth presses. "You are the only one who knows anything about these _acromantulas._ Please tell me you know _something."_

I reach up to twist a strand of hair around my finger. "We have to send someone out to find them. There's no fighting something unless you find it. And, if it comes to finding the acromantulas, I only want to send people who have … oh, what do you call them? Those powers inherited from your godly parents. People who can defend themselves without physical weapons, and not just with hand-to-hand combat."

Annabeth frowns a bit, but begins giving orders immediately. "Okay, then. Jason and Thalia should go as a team. Let's see. Leo, you go, too. And … oh, let's see …"

"Me," Percy suggests. They exchange a silent conversation, and Annabeth grudgingly acquiesces.

"And Percy." She turns to me. "You'd best go, too. You can go with the boys, to make sure they don't do anything stupid."

Hazel appears next to us with two girls. One of them is tall, about eighteen. She's got curly, waist length brown hair and is wearing a pretty green top. She smiles at me. The other is small and wearing a windbreaker zipped up to her chin.

"Sophy," Hazel says softly, "meet Miranda and Elle." Elle takes one hand out of her windbreaker pocket to wave at me. "They're from the Demeter cabin, and they're the best trackers in camp."

"Besides the dryads," says Miranda, "and the satyrs, and -"

Hazel waves a hand to silence her. "The best trackers in camp."

Miranda jogs over to Jason and Thalia, so Elle quietly joins me. Next to me, Leo is pulling little scraps out of pockets on his belt, twisting them together. I look up to see Thalia adjusting her bowstring.

"So now what?" The girl with the spear waves a hand at us. "Are you just going to tramp around in the forest until-"

"We are going to track down these two acromantula. Once we find them, we will work together to render them _innocuous_. If something happens, we can have a dryad send a message back to camp and _you_ can come to help us." We turn to see Elle glaring at the girl. "That's the plan. We're going with it. Let's go." She turns on her heel and starts up the stairs.

Thalia looks a bit surprised. "Well, then. I guess we're off. C'mon, brother dear." She turns to follow Elle up the steps, Jason on her heels.

The night air is colder away from the fire, and I shiver a bit in the wind. Campers are streaming out into the night from behind me.

"Hey," I hear, and someone touches my arm. It's Will from the infirmary. He's holding a jacket. When he holds it up, I notice an embroidered music note where a monogram would be. "I brought this for you," he says, draping it over my shoulders. I pull it around me, grateful for the warmth. "It gets cold here at night. I also brought you these." He hands me a bow and helps me fasten a quiver to my back before giving me a dagger to put on my belt.

"Thanks," I say, trying to be heard over the campers behind me.

He grins. "Anytime." Rifling around in his bag, he pulls something out, looking serious. "This," he says, "is ambrosia." He hands me a baggie filled with what appears to be lemon bars. "It's godly food, but it heals demigods, like you and me. If you or anyone gets injured, you need to feed them one - and only one - square of this. Understand?"

I put the baggie in the jacket's pocket, my hair whipping in the wind. "I understand."

"Okay." Will glances over my shoulder, and then back at me. "Listen, the others are almost ready to go. One last thing." He motions at my stomach. "You healed surprisingly fast, but you're still hurt. I know you might be fighting, but - try to be careful, okay? If you re-injure yourself, it'll be so much worse than before."

"I'll try," I say. He still looks a bit worried, but I haven't got much time before I have to go. "Can you do me a favor?"

He nods. "What is it?"

I bite my lip. "Lilyia. I'm worried about her. Could you watch out for her until I get back? She's never gotten this scared before."

"Of course." He adjusts my grip on the bow. "You hold it this way."

I grin sheepishly. "Thanks."

He gives me a wave, disappearing into the crowd.

"Ready?" Jason asks from behind me. Everyone is ready to go; Miranda and Elle are armed and Jason's put on what appears to be leather armor.

"As ready as I'll ever be," I return.

Leo raises an eyebrow at me. "Is that _Will Solace's jacket?"_

I blush slightly at his tone. "Um…"

"Moving on to the _important things,_ " Thalia snaps, "we need to be going." She gives me an encouraging look. "You'll be fine, little sister. Don't worry."

On that note, our group move toward the forest, toward where Miranda is talking with a girl … who isn't a girl. She's floating a tiny bit above the ground, her ears are pointy, and her skin is tinged green. Miranda says something to her, and she disappears.

"Any luck?" Elle asks, to my confusion. Miranda notices my expression.

"A wood nymph," she explains. "She and her sisters can tell us about the monsters and where they're going. According to her, our best bets are that way and that way." She points two different directions into the wood.

"We'll go this way," says Elle, motioning to the right. "Ready?"

I take a deep breath and look back once more at the campers, but I can't find Will or Rachel in the crowd. Gripping the bow, I follow Leo and Percy into the woods.

At first, the woods seem normal. Regular trees, regular undergrowth. But soon, not unlike the Forbidden Forest, it seems to grow spookier. Creepier. The trees seem to shift when I'm not looking. A stray feeler creeps around the floor. I hear noises, and once, see a pair of eyes - literally - peeking out at us from a bush. Leo sends a ball of _fire_ at it, illuminating a scary, threatening … rabbit. It hops away, disappearing into a bush.

Elle stops suddenly, holding out an arm. We all come to a stop behind her, and Leo pulls a small hunk of metal out of his tool belt. (A grenade? A cell phone? Some sort of Muggle thing.) Elle closes her eyes, resting her hand on the tree next to her. We stand in silence for a moment, waiting.

"We need to change course," she says in a whisper, pointing into the trees. "The spider seems to be heading closer to its friend."

As we find a new path through the undergrowth, a sudden buzzing and crackling - static - comes from Leo's tool belt pocket. We stop and turn to him in surprise, as he pulls out the weird device. He pushes a button and talks into it as softly as Elle spoke before him.

"We didn't catch that. Please reply. Over." He lets up on the button and whispers, "Walkie talkie."

Thalia's voice crackles out of the walkie-talkie. "Miranda talked to a tree. We're changing paths, more towards your group. We think the monsters might be trying to meet each other. Over."

Leo's eyebrows go up, and we stare at each other. He presses down the button and talks into it. "Elle did the same. Over." We begin to walk again, Elle studying our surroundings, seemingly in her own level of a world.

We walk in silence for a while. My nerves are prickling, setting me on edge. Memories are starting to tug at the corner of my mind, and I'll give anything to have Liliya with me. I'm half expecting for a bear to appear out of the dark, like when I was seven in Russia.

Leo breaks the silence. "I think I recognize this area," he says. "We're near Bunker Nine."

"At least we'll have somewhere to run," Percy points out. "Where's Festus?"

"Suitcase form. I've been doing some maintenance work. I think Calypso's at the Bunker."

I clear my throat. "Bunker Nine?"

"Um, a workshop in the woods. We can hide there if we need to." Leo looks a bit proud. "Festus is my metal dragon, he-"

Elle throws out her hands, whacking Percy in the stomach. We freeze, looking through the woods. Ahead of us, a chilling scuffling noise is coming through the undergrowth, and a familiar sound of clicking pincers …

Leo's walkie-talkie crackles. Thalia's voice comes crackling out, saying something I can't hear. Leo's eyes widen, and he jams down the button as soon as she stops speaking. "Stop, stop, you have to stop moving now, we found them, Thalia, now shut up!" He lets up on the button and turns to us. "They're on the other bank of the creek."

Percy's eyes widen. "Holy Hera, that's close." He hits his watch, and a shield spirals out into existence. Elle has pulled a dangerous-looking spear from somewhere.

"This way," she whispers, beckoning. Silently, we tread through the forest until she sharply tugs us down behind a thicket. We duck down, and I try not to sit on my quiver. "There," she whispers, pointing through the trees.

I shift, trying to find an eyehole in the bush. Suddenly, the clearing comes into view. I see two spiders - over ten feet, maybe thirteen, scuttling in the clearing ahead of us. Their pincers are clacking, obviously in an intense conversation.

"See the others?" Percy breathes in my ear, and I look to see where he's pointing. Sure enough, behind another thicket, are the three others. Miranda and Thalia are discussing something and Jason's readying his sword.

"Now what?" I ask softly.

Elle turns back, taking her hand off of the tree next to us. "I asked this dryad to send a message to my sister. Hopefully, she'll get it." She sounds very final.

"They're saying something," Leo says from my other side. He's been studying the spiders, watching them talk. "Can't you hear? They're talking. _Talking."_

I shrug. "Probably. They _can_ speak English. Some of them."

Percy whirls to me. "And you failed to mention this earlier?"

"Speak, Percy, not think! Their minds work much more differently than ours. They probably only speak English because they were bred by wi - ah," I force a very realistic sneeze to cover my mistake. "Bred by experts in the eighteenth century."

He blows out his breath. "Fine."

Elle catches her breath, grabbing my arm. "No," she whispers. "Oh, no, no, no."

One of the spiders is turning its head, slowly, scanning the bushes on the far side of the clearing. It stops, seeing its prey. Miranda is pressing against the tree, leaning back slowly. Thalia's readying her bow as the monster steps forward. Suddenly, it lunges forward, moving faster than I ever would have expected. Thalia shoves Miranda back behind a bush, and the startled girl rolls out of sight as Thalia aims her bow at the monster. Beside her, Jason raises his sword.

Percy's on his feet already, sword at the ready. Leo's fire is crackling, and I back up, reaching for my knife.

 _Crack!_ I hear, and Jason's sword ricochets off of the spider. He falls back, unbalanced. Thalia shoots her bow, but the arrow bounces off as well.

I spring up, carefully taking aim and throwing my dagger. It strikes the acromantula right on target, piercing one of its eyes. Black fluid streaming from the wound, the spider staggers backward, giving the others a chance to collect themselves.

"Very nice, very nice, but we need to run, and now!" Leo's saying, pulling me to the side. He weaves through the trees, heading around toward the others. I see Elle melting silently through the trees and Percy calling water from the stream.

"Look out!" I hear a yell, and we turn to see the other spider bearing down on us. Without thinking, I pick up a handful of arrows out of my quiver and jump, instinctively using the air currents to lift me as I sink the shafts into the creature's eyes. For a moment I feel sorry for it, but then pain splits down my leg; the creature's pincers are tearing my calf open. I roll forward despite the throbbing pain, landing on its back.

For a terrifying moment, I have a clear glimpse of the clearing. Behind me, Leo is scrambling away from the half-blinded spider. To one side, Thalia and Jason are blasting the second spider with lightning as they back away. Percy is using water to enhance the electricity, but the monster's thick hide protects it from the worst of the pain. To the left, Elle and Miranda are standing side by side, waiting for the moment to join the battle.

I see all of this in a heartbeat. Suddenly, the acromantula lunges, and I struggle not to slip off its side. It's a huge drop down, and I don't want to risk falling, not with my bleeding leg and my old wound, which is throbbing. The scratchy hide of the spider skins my elbow, not unlike a rug burn.

I hear a scream, and the first spider is standing over Miranda, who is clutching her side as she falls. Jason grabs its leg and somehow _yanks_ it back, sending it onto its side. He thrusts a sword into its unprotected belly, sending a squirt of black blood all over his shirt. The flailing legs of the spider fall, limply, and Miranda coughs, gasping in pain.

"How bad is it?" Thalia demands, bending over the girl.

"Bad." Elle is surprisingly steady, brave. She touches the tree. "I'm taking her back to camp."

"Take care," Thalia says.

I remember Will, back at camp. "Ambrosia!" I call. "I've got ambrosia."

She shakes her head. "We've got to get her back to camp. I promise I'll bring help." Clutching one arm around the older girl, she touches the tree. Vines whip around her and her sister, spiraling down from the canopy. When they withdraw, Elle and Miranda are gone.

My concentration lost, the spider throws me off. As I hit the ground, the impact knocks the air out of me. I roll to absorb the impact and get away from the spider.. Will's jacket takes some of the shock away, but not much. As I try to scramble to my feet, the spider spins, racing across the clearing toward me.

I'm left up on my elbows, the acromantula racing toward me. Thalia's arrow bounces off of its side. Percy raises his sword, but the spider is moving too fast. As the acromantula bears down on me, I realize that with my leg, I won't have time to move. In those frozen seconds, my thoughts spin in a whirl, flickering in and out with a storm of memories. _I'm so sorry, Mama. I'm so sorry. I must break my promise. I must. I'm sorry._

I fight back both tears and overwhelming memories, reaching for my pocket. The acromantula is rapidly blotting out my view of the clearing. I take a deep, deep breath in and decisively make a choice I never thought I would.

" _Avada Kedavra,"_ I whisper, giving my wand a sharp flick. A chilling green light rushes from the tip of my wand, swirling to cover the looming spider. I hear a sinister rushing of wind, the rushing of Death himself. The acromantula stumbles, legs curling under itself. It skids and falls, practically crushing me. Dead. Gone. Forever.

I scrunch my eyes against the stinking black hair in my face and try not to breathe. I feel the weight of the spider being shifted off of me. Someone grabs me, pulling me out from under the carcass.

"Oh, gods. Gods. Okay. You're hurt. Oh, gods. I don't know what the Hades that was, but there's a pair of myrmekes coming and we need to get _out_." Jason scoops me up like I'm a little kid again, turning away from the clearing and deeper into the woods. My leg burns with pain, blood staining my shoes. Bump, bump, bump. More woods fly by. Ow. Ow. Ow. Ahead of me, Leo presses his flaming hand to a stone cliff, and we dart inside as it swings open. My head is too cloudy for me to start considering anything - the cliff, Leo, the fire, the blood. My vision blurs, pain rushing through my brain as we stumble to safety.

* * *

"And you're _sure_ that you can't wake up Festus," Thalia says for the last time. Leo throws a wrench at her head.

"For the last time, yes! I have to finish these modifications first. Jeez." He plops down on a workbench, knocking tools onto the floor.

Calypso bonks him on the head with a hammer. "No throwing things, Fireboy." She glances over at me. "Is your leg okay? Do you want any more unicorn draught?"

I shake my head. Jason, who's crouching next to me, pins a bandage in place. "That should hold," he says, helping me up. His voice echoes in the huge room.

The Bunker is like nowhere I've ever seen. The ceiling towers up, filled with catwalks and hanging contraptions. Calypso's corner is the only non-mechanical part of the place, filled with tapestries and soft colors. Thalia paces to one side.

"I don't want to spend all night here. I feel trapped," she complains.

"We _are_ trapped," Leo points out, gesturing to the door. Apparently, some sort of Greek monster is outside, and we're in no mood or shape to confront it.

"So let me get this straight," Calypso says. "Nine of you were somehow transported to a forest in the Scottish Highlands while fighting a hellhound. Then you met Sophy, and shadow-travelled back. On the way, the group split up. At that point, Sophy transported Leo and Annabeth here. She then went back _into_ the shadows - which shouldn't be possible - for you two, Piper and Nico. While this is going on, two giant spiders show up in the woods. You four and two Demeter girls decide to go tracking them, _on your own,_ and end up here."

I sigh. "In a nutshell."

Jason points a finger at me. "I still want to talk to you about whatever that _green light_ was."

I groan inwardly, seriously considering a few memory charms. "It's a Scottish thing."

"I don't think it is." Thalia settles down next to us. "You're different from other mortals. I still don't get why _you_ were in those woods, if, as you pointed out, the nearest town is days away. Chiron was acting a bit odd around you, too. It almost reminds me of when we found out about the Romans."

Jason groans. "Please don't let there be, I don't know, _Macedonian_ gods or something. Please."

I bite my lip. "No."

"Good."

Calypso sits down next to me. "How's this? We all swear, on the River Styx, that none of us will share your secrets unless you give us permission. We _all_ swear."

"We swear," the other three echo.

I raise an eyebrow. "What is the River Styx?"

"It's the deepest vow there is," clarifies Percy. "I haven't heard of anyone who's broken it."

I give them a skeptical glance and receive a chorus of pleading expressions in return. With a sigh, I brace myself and mentally apologize to whoever runs Wizarding America. "Oh, fine. Don't freak out. There is, hidden just like you, a Wizarding world."

They gape at me. "Wizarding." Thalia repeats incredulously.

"Witches and wizards. We can do magic. In Britain, all wizards are sent to school at age eleven. Those ruins you saw weren't ruins. That was my school, magically disguised. Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

No one speaks. The boys and Thalia are all looking completely stunned. However, Calypso is nodding.

"I always thought Hecate would want to share her power with mortals," she says. "I guess it's just grown into a whole world."

Leo breaks the silence. "Witches. And wizards. Are you a witch?"

"Yes."

"Do you ride a broomstick on the full moon? Or turn into a bat? Or cook children in a cauldron?"

I gape at him. "Merlin, no! We have flying broomsticks. We play sports on them. Only some wizards can turn into animals. I've never heard of someone choosing a _bat_ for their animal. And cook _children?_ We have _potions,_ Leo, but we're not murderers!"

Thalia snorts. "Those are all of the Halloween stories that … what do you call them? non-magic people tell about witches. Kids stories."

"Thank Merlin."

Leo's on a roll. "Do you have one of those fairy wands? Like the glittery ones with the stars on the top or … oh."

I've pulled out my wand from my sleeve. The pale applewood is not glittery, disappointingly, and the slim stick has no star.

"Can you do magic?" Jason asks, curious.

I point my wand at the floor. "Incendio," I say, and fire shoots out of the tip, lighting a twig on fire. "Aguamenti," and the fire's out again.

"Cool," Jason breathes, leaning forward.

I point my wand at Leo, trying to remember what we learned in Charms this year. After a bit of concentration and a flick of my wand, his left eyebrow is purple.

Leo blinks in confusion. "What did you - hey!" Calypso is holding up a small mirror. He examines his eyebrows with mixed fascination and annoyance. I grin and charm it back.

"So you used magic to kill the spider?" Jason asks.

I wince. "The Killing Curse. It's one of the three forbidden spells. Don't tell."

Percy sits back on his heels. "We already agreed not to tell anyone. Don't worry."

"Thanks." I lean back. "Since I've had good luck so far, I suppose I could try to Apparate again and take us back to camp. Oh, you know, it's magic."

* * *

"What _is_ that?" Percy gasps, shaking his head as though trying to clear it.

I raise an eyebrow. I'm the only one standing - everyone else is slumped over on the ground. "That's how we got back from Scotland."

"Still." Leo looks pale in the moonlight, and a bit green. "Is there any way to do the whatsit _without_ doing it killer-death-grip style?"

"Not really. You get used to it after a while."

Calypso flops onto her back, arms above her head. "What _I_ want to know is what that is _exactly._ Shadow-travel is using the shadows as a linked route of passage, by definition. Like one of your modern … interstates. But _that?"_

I frown, plopping down beside them. I can tell that they'll need a bit to recover. They remind me of the seventh years trying to practice in Hogsmeade. "Um, I'm not really sure. We don't _teach_ definitions to stuff like Apparition, people just _know_ what it is. If I had to guess … it's like forcing yourself through space from one point to the next."

Jason blows out his breath, shakily standing up. "Forcing yourself sounds pretty accurate." He turns to Thalia, who is looking as though she's having trouble keeping her supper down. "You okay, little sis?"

She whacks his leg. "Just because you turned seventeen this summer doesn't mean you get to call me _little sis."_

Jason grins. "You _are_ younger now."

She pulls herself to her feet. "Nope. I'm the older one. Always will be, _little brother._ Wish on."

I raise an eyebrow. "I've seen and heard a lot, but this is the first time I've ever heard _this_ type of an argument."

Percy laughs. "I'll bet. Thalia's a Hunter of Artemis. Right before her sixteenth birthday, she became immortal. Jason was originally younger, but now, he's older than she was when she became a Hunter."

"You're immortal?"

Thalia nods. "Artemis is one of the goddesses who swore off men. If you become a Hunter of Artemis, you swear off romance for all eternity and stay immortal unless you fall in battle or fall in love." She makes a face.

"Oh." I pick at a loose thread on Will's jacket. "That sounds really cool." I try to sound sincere.

Leo cracks up. "I'd bet you have a _special someone,_ right, Soph? Otherwise, you'd be the type to join right up!"

I glare at him. "Oh, stuff it."

He's laughing so hard he has to sit down. Calypso and Thalia both roll their eyes. "If I had to guess, I'd say it's Will. Sorry, _esa_ , but you're not quite his type."

I'm tempted to whack him upside the head. "You do realize that I can spell your _entire_ head purple, right?" I point my wand at his head.

"Hey! My head is perfect the way it is now! Don't mess it up!" He scrambles away from me on all fours.

"Moving _on,"_ Percy interrupts, "we should get a move on before anything _else_ comes out of that stupid forest."

"Hear, hear," Calypso agrees, brushing off her dress. She gives Leo a shove as he tries to get up. "I'm tempted to duct-tape your mouth shut, _ese_ ," she begins as we trudge up to the Big House. Percy and Jason are both scratched up and definitely bruised. Thalia holds herself high, but I can tell that she's hurt in some way. I'm limping, slivers of pain shooting up my leg as I follow the others up the hill.

* * *

"This makes _no_ sense," Clarisse complains, beginning to pace. Reyna clears her throat, and Clarisse stops. "It doesn't!" she protests. "No magic should be able to do that."

I squirm uncomfortably at the mention of magic, but Jason sends me a reassuring look from across the room. He's standing next to the whatchamacallit … Iris-message … to Reyna in California.

"So let me get this straight," says Annabeth. She uncaps a marker, turning around to a huge whiteboard on one wall.

"Annabeth," Percy says tiredly, "Most of everyone here is dyslexic."

She sighs. "Still, Percy. I want to get this all down."

A group of campers has gathered with Chiron in a room in the Big House. I'm seated around a table with the nine campers who came to Scotland, Will, Miranda, Elle, a girl named Clarisse, and Reyna (via Iris-message). Apparently, this doesn't quite count as a council for the counselors.

Annabeth clears her throat and begins dictating as she writes. "Nine campers plus one hellhound were transported to Scottish Highlands, discovering upon return that two acromantulas had appeared on Long Island, presumably in exchange." She looks up. "Sound good so far?"

There's a slight pause. "I think it's okay," I say. She beams at me and turns to write more.

I sigh, studying her careful handwriting. She's going faster now and in pink instead of blue. I think she's writing about the fight tonight, in the woods. I take a deep breath and begin trying to read the English.

 _Upon the discovery of the ac … acromantulas,_ I struggle, _a team of campers was dis … dispatched? into the woods to find them._ I want to cry with frustration. My head hurts; it has ever since I arrived from Scotland. Now my stomach is hurting again, as well as my leg. Trying to read English makes my head hurt even more, as well as my eyes. I silently curse the stupid English language. I learned to read Russian and French quickly, but I've always had trouble with English. At Hogwarts, I always charmed things into Russian, but that isn't possible now.

"Is that okay?" Annabeth asks, jumping down from the stool to let us see. Percy is mumbling under his breath, staring at the whiteboard. Leo appears to have given up trying, as have several of the others.

"It looks okay to me," Frank says.

"Great. Sophy, what do you think?" Annabeth turns around to look at me. I bite my lip. I'm barely past the first sentence. "Um, the first bit is okay."

Annabeth turns around in her seat to look at the board. "Which first bit?"

My face burns pink. "The first … couple of sentences."

Annabeth blinks. "Okay."

I'm trying to read, think, and keep back memories all at once, and the result makes me want to cry. "That's all I've translated so far." I want to kick myself. _Word choice, Sophy!_

Clarisse stops polishing her spear and looks up at me. "Translated? It's only English, kid."

I stop to get through another word. _Con … confro …. confront …. confrontation!_ "Exactly. It's so _confusing."_

"But … you speak English just fine." Nico stops playing with a little black statuette in his hand.

"Sure, I speak it, because I've lived in England for seven years."

"What about _school?"_

"Homeschooling. I live on a farm." I remember the little Muggle school in town, where I would've learned to read with the four year olds.

Leo spins his chair around to look at me. "And you never learned English. Not once."

"Of course I tried!"

Leo blows out his breath. "So you're not dyslexic, you just can't read."

My face burns. "Of course I can read, you idiot. I can read Cyrillic and a bit of French. I just have trouble reading English!"

Miranda clears her throat, pulling her head back in the window. "I just got a message from the dryads confirming some things."

We turn to her. "What things?" asks Thalia immediately.

Miranda clears her throat. "For a month or so now, we - the dryads, the satyrs, and I - have been tracking a pair of a sort of miniature dragons. They were living deep in the forest. According to the dryads, they vanished from the woods less than a day ago. Gone. No hint of anything. No one sensed them leave. However, two unknown monsters, that we've just confirmed as acromantulas, appeared around their nest soon afterward."

Everyone exchanges glances. I brace myself against my chair, dreading what's next.

"I've also gotten an interesting report from other dryads. Four or so unknown creatures - we don't know how many - have also been spotted. I've heard some really weird reports. Some dryads report sensing offbeat spirits but not seeing anything. Others report seeing demonic pegasi. One maple dryad described it as … oh, what was it? The _offspring of a pegasus and a demon reptile._ I have no idea what those could possibly be. Also, one dryad thinks she faintly heard _humans_ in the woods. Hopefully not mortals, but I don't know who else…"

I'm on my feet before I can think. "Oh, no. Not - oh, dear Merlin." I'm up and out, ignoring the cries of confusion behind me and the pain in my leg. I only pause once, to orient myself, and then I'm off again. I hear a cackling voice from across the camp - "children out of bed!" - but I don't care. I'm already ducking into the woods. Once out of sight, I risk a _Ferula!_ to encase my leg in a splint, but I have to keep running.

I have to keep going.

I have to find them.


	7. Chapter Six

Disclaimer: All characters, settings, or other story components take from the Harry Potter, Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Heroes of Olympus, or Trials of Apollo series belong to J.K. Rowling and Rick Riordan, respectively. I do not own any of the aforementioned. I do not intend to use this story commercially.

A/N: Hello! I apologize for posting this so late in the day. This chapter contains characters from the Heroes of Olympus and mentions of things from the Half-Blood Prince. I do not think it has any major spoilers. I'm going to try to get the next chapter out by next weekend, 3 and 4 June. On that note, summer break is quickly approaching! I'm not sure if I'll keep posting every weekend this summer or if that will change. I'll keep posting, but it might end up being whenever I'm able. (Just as a heads-up!) Please read and _please review!_

* * *

I pad through the woods. My head throbs with every step I take. With the sun truly set, the woods are exponentially more sinister. Despite having spent entire days in the woods back in the USSR as a child, I've definitely headed off course. I might even be walking in circles.

"Homenum Revelio," I whisper with a sigh. After a slight pause, five spectral figures sweep delicately over me, coming from my left. Casting another half-hearted healing spell on my injured leg, I turn and trudge in the direction the figures came from.

After ages more of walking, I'm exhausted and even more lost than when I began. Every tracking or detection charm I've cast has been fruitless. If I didn't know better, I'd say my magic has been getting weaker the farther into the woods I've walked.

With a sigh, I began casting tracking and Point-Me spells almost at random. Nothing helps. Reaching the bottom of my list of Thing to Try When Lost in a Surreal Greek Mythology Forest, I turn and place a hand on the nearest tree.

 _Hello, um, Miss Dryad,_ I think. _I'm sorry to disturb you. I am looking for about five teenagers my age. They're lost. Have you seen them?_

"You don't have to _think_ so damn loudly!"

I almost jump out of my skin. Behind me stands a girl who looks to be about my age, except she has green skin and leaves for hair. She also looks quite irritated.

"I haven't seen any humans tonight, 'cept you. But according to Gingko, there's a group of mortal kids wandering around. Hold on …" She tilts her head, as if listening to someone whispering in her ear. "Oh! Linden can hear voices. At least three or four. She says they're unlike any humans she's ever heard. But," the dryad warns, "I wouldn't trust Linden. You wouldn't know, but Linden's a right damn-"

"Thank you," I say quickly. I don't particularly want or need to hear more about this Linden, especially from a maple tree who probably curses like a sailor. "Speaking of Linden, which way…"

"That way." The girl points boredly over my head. "Maybe ten minutes at the rate _you're_ going."

I decide to keep my comments to myself and instead apt for a polite _goodbye._

I light my wand before setting off again through the forest. Several times, I hear something big moving through the underbrush. _There are monsters in the woods,_ Annabeth told me. I set my jaw and place a hand on the knife still on my belt.

Before too long, I start to notice footprints. They're winding through the woods, making me loop back and forth to follow them. When I stop to give my leg a rest, I hear a faint voice through the trees.

"Luna, this was _not the fault of the Blibbering Humdingers!"_

I almost laugh at Hermione's outraged tone; I'm so glad to have found them.

I can't make out Luna's unperturbed response, only Hermione's reaction.

"No! They're not real! Blibbering Humdingers _do not exist!"_

"Drop it, you two." Harry sounds absolutely exhausted. " _Point Me."_

"Which way do you think we ought to try this time?" I can image Ron leaning over Harry's shoulder to see his wand. "We've tried east, we started out going north-"

"We ought to keep going this way," Hermione suggests. "Otherwise, we're just going the way we came."

"Gran always said to stay put if I got lost," I hear Neville say in a small voice.

I hear a murmur of dissension from the others.

"That only really applies if someone was with us up until we got lost, Neville," Hermione corrects him, sounding a bit stressed.

"And I swear, something's been following us," Harry adds, glancing back over his shoulder.

"Really, Harry, I haven't heard-"

"There!" Ron spins around. "Can you hear that?"

I've just brushed past a bush.

"Yeah." Neville sounds a bit nervous. "Let's keep walking."

"There it is again!" Harry exclaims. "Can you hear it?"

I have to clamp a hand over my mouth to suppress my giggles. I have no idea why I'm finding this so hilarious.

As my friends continue to debate over what to do, I pick my way toward them. With a grin, I take care to brush heavily up against the bushes as I pass.

"It could be harmless," I hear Hermione advising the others. "But in the case that it's not, be ready to Stun it. And remember, if it has a protective hide, be sure to aim for the eyes or-"

"If it's harmless?!" Ron retorts, eyeing the trees nervously. "Hermione, that's not harmless; I swear I heard it _growl_."

I'm shaking with silent laughter, despite my inner conscience scolding me vigorously.

"It's the trees," Luna says dreamily from behind Ron. "They don't like us. I heard them gossiping a few minutes ago."

" _Luna."_ Hermione, now thoroughly irked, turns to the other girl. "You are entering your _fifth year_ at Hogwarts. It is well beyond the time you should get it through your head that _trees. Do_ not. _Talk."_

"Sorry, Hermione." I pop out from behind a tree, provoking several screams and a Stunner that flies by my ear. "You'd be surprised to find that these trees do, in fact, tend to talk. And gossip. Especially gossip."

I'm met with four shocked stares and one dreamy smile. "Hello, Sophy," Luna says, completely unperturbed.

" _Sophy?!"_

"Sophy! What in the name of Merlin-"

"What's going _on?"_ Harry demands. "Where are we? What happened?"

I lean back against the tree. "You're in a forest-"

"Of course!" Ron slaps his forehead in mock surprise. "A forest! Why didn't we figure that out after _ages_ of being _lost-"_

"A forest," I continue over him, "in the States. Long Island, more specifically-"

"And what was that?" Ron jabs a finger at the bushes behind me. "You heard it, right? The thing in the bushes?"

I turn around and then back to him. "That? Either me or some sort of monster. Either way, I wouldn't worry-"

" _Monster?"_ Hermione echoes.

"Precisely." I push away from the tree. "A monster."

The words have barely left my mouth when a faint snarl echoes from the bushes behind me. A faint scuffling indicates something moving closer to the clearing where we stand.

"Well, there you go, Ron," I say nonchalantly, doing my best to act calm. "Okay. At this point, I have no idea which way to go."

"But … what are we going to do?" Hermione squeaks. "What-"

"Hermione. _Hermione. Hermione!_ " She finally stops, turning to look at me. "It's _okay."_

Behind me, another bush starts to rustle.

"C'mere." I hold out my arms palms up. "We have to hurry."

Luna reaches for my arm immediately, giving me a small smile. Neville follows her, fastening his grip around my forearm.

"Sophy." Hermione's tone makes me look up. "What do you think you are doing?"

"What do you _think?"_

Her eyes widen. "You _can't_ be Apparating! It's too dangerous: you're underage, we could get hurt-"

"I've Apparated four times in the last couple days." I try to sound as confident as I feel. "Unless you have some other way of getting out of here-" another growl "-fast?"

Harry and Ron give each other a look and come to my other arm. Hermione, however, doesn't move.

"Is it even _possible_ to transport six people in one try?"

"I managed it once," I say honestly. "It's one danger or another, Hermione. If you _want_ to wait for me to come back-"

Hermione gives the bushes a thoughtful look before reaching for my arm.

* * *

We appear on the edge of the forest near the armory. The others stumble a bit, gasping. I don't think any of us are Splinched, apart from the fact that my fingernails appear freshly trimmed.

A screech interrupts the silent night, making me jump.

"Campers out of bed!"

There are three harpies coming around the side of the arena. Beside me, Ron freezes and Hermione draws her wand.

"Campers out of bed means dinner for hungry harpies!" the first harpy announces, bobbing closer.

"Sophy," Harry hisses. "What are these-"

"We're injured," I lie to the harpies. "We need a medic." Grabbing Neville's wrist and nudging Harry with my shoulder, I begin to edge toward the armory.

"Children out of bed!" The harpy echoes. They're getting closer. I have absolutely no idea what to do; I've only heard of cleaning harpies.

I hear a rustling in the bushes behind me. Unlike the rustling earlier, I immediately know what's behind me. Ignoring the harpies, I release Neville and crouch down. After a big of tugging, the bandages around my leg begin to come loose, falling around my shoe. As the last bit comes loose, a wave of pain flares from my wound.

Right on cue, shapes begin to appear out of the darkness. They're thestrals, dark and spooky in the semi-darkness. I count five, all headed for my torn leg.

"MORTALS IN CAMP!" The third harpy suddenly screeches.

"MORTALS IN-"

" _Impedimenta!"_ Hermione interrupts, neatly stunning the harpies.

"Thank you," I say quickly. "Come on!"

I start forward, but my leg collapses under me. With a sigh, Hermione slings my arm over her shoulders and helps me stand. I have to hop forward to keep the thestrals away from my injured leg. We hurry past the harpies, the boys and Luna close on our heels.

I lead my friends past the armory and forge, heading straight for the Big House. I almost stumble once, but Hermione helps me keep my balance. Soon, we're making our way around the corner of the farmhouse.

As we come around the corner, I see Thalia standing on the porch, yelling into walkie-talkie.

"No, we _haven't_ found her, please tell me you've heard something! Have you tried near Zeus's Fist? Then go!" She stand still for a moment before hurling the device at the fall in front of her. Behind me, Hermione gives a little _oh._ Thalia whips around, staring at us for a split second before she practically flies down the stairs, pulling me into an enormous hug. "Sophy Alkaev, if you disappear like that _ever, ever, again,_ I swear…"

Will slams the door to the Big House open. "Miranda says - _Sophy!"_ He hurries down the steps to join us. "Where have you _been?_ What were you _thinking,_ just racing off like that? Are you-" He gives me a quick once-over for injuries and freezes when he sees my leg. "Sophy." His tone is dangerous. "Why did you take off your bandages?"

"For the thestrals," I say, pointing behind me. "They're attracted to raw meat."

Thalia gags. "That is _so_ gross."

One of the thestrals leans down toward me and I push it away. "I know. At least I found them in the first place."

Thalia sighs, rubbing her forehead. "Fine." She gives the thestrals a suspicious glance. "Will they stay put, or do we have to put them in the stables with the pegasi?"

I consider this question and study the creatures. "Um … that's a really good question. I don't exactly know."

"Great. The last things we need are five creepy death horses wandering around camp."

"They will," Hermione interrupts, "stay put if you have any raw meat to give them." She's glaring at Thalia with surprising animosity.

"We might have a little bit of meat in the kitchens," Will says doubtfully, looking from Hermione to Thalia. "But we probably don't have enough for both-"

We all jump at a loud _crunching_ noise from behind us. Luna, oblivious to the conversation, is calmly feeding one of the thestrals a large Gurdyroot from her bag. When Ron clears his throat, trying not to laugh, she blinks and turns around. "They'll stay to keep away from the Blibbering Humdinger." With that statement, she turns back to the thestral, reaching for another Gurdyroot.

Hermione snorts. "If such a thing existed, which it doesn't." She turns to Will and Thalia. "Blibbering Humdingers do not exist, and never have, as don't Nargles or Crumple-Horned Snorkacks." Suddenly, she frowns. "As a matter of fact, can you _see_ the thestrals?"

Harry, Ron, and Neville all look up. Like them, I'm remembering the Care of Magical Creatures lesson when Hagrid taught us about the thestrals. As he told us, only those who have seen death can see thestrals: Will and Thalia must have seen someone die. "We can," Thalia says slowly. "Why shouldn't we?"

"So," Hermione says quickly and rather snappishly, "you've seen someone die?"

"What does _that_ have to do with anything?" Thalia says, temper rising.

"Well," Hermione says, temper flaring just as fast, "for your _information-"_

" _Guys!"_ I snap. "Now is _not_ the time." I receive heated looks from both Thalia and Hermione. "Okay. Guys, this is Thalia, my half-sister, and Will, the camp medic." Will smiles, friendly even now, and Thalia gives a nod.

"Medic meaning…" Ron says slowly.

"Doctor, except not quite as qualified," Will clarifies, looking a bit confused,

Ron's face lights up. "Doctors are those Muggle Healers who c-" Hermione clamps a hand over his mouth, to stop him from finishing: _Healers who cut people up._ Will looks much more confused, and I don't blame him.

Continuing on, "These are my schoolmates. Neville Hermione, Ron, Harry, and there at the end is Luna." Luna, still ignoring us, is cooing to the thestral in some unknown language.

"Nice to meet you." Thalia gives us a brief smile. "I'm going inside. The others don't know you're back. Come on, Will."

Will gives us a friendly nod and follows Thalia into the Big House, leaving us alone.

There's a moment's pause, broken only by the thestrals crunching on Gurdyroots.

"What in Merlin's name is going on?" Harry demands, turning to me. "Where are we? Who are _they?_ What are you doing here? Why are _we_ here?"

I bite my lip, considering what I should tell them.

"Sophy?" Hermione prompts slowly.

"Alright, alright." I carefully sit down, patting the ground beside me. "Sit."

They all do so, even Luna, who quickly gives the thestral the rest of the Gurdyroot before sitting.

"Okay." I take a deep breath. "You all have heard about Ancient Greek mythology, yes? The gods and the heroes and whatnot?"

Although Ron looks a bit stumped, everyone else nods.

"What does that have to do with anything?" Hermione asks, shifting to sit on her heels.

"It's all real." I'm met with four blank stares and one vague smile. "The gods. The monsters. All of it. They're all real, and they still exist. And sometimes, the gods will come down into the mortal world and, um, have kids. That's why this camp exists." I wave my arms at the surrounding camp. "It's a training camp for demigods, the children of gods and mortals. Thalia and Will are both demigods. And … and I'm one, too."

"You're a demigod?!" Ron interrupts excitedly. "So, are you immortal? Are you going to go live on Mount Olympus? Do you have superpowers? Are you-"

"Ron!" Hermione scolds, waving a hand at him. "For Merlin's sake, let her _breathe."_ She turns back to me with an expectant expression.

I sigh and pull my hair back from my face. "Okay. First, Ron, I'm a _demi_ god, not a god. I'm not immortal, nor am I going to live on Mount Olympus."

"Where _are_ you going to live?" Neville asks. He leans forward to rest his elbows on his knees, looking concerned. "You're still going to Hogwarts, right?"

"Definitely." I carefully tie my hair back. "I'm not leaving school for this."

"And who _is_ your godly parent?" Hermione asks, bouncing a little bit. "Is he … um … Apollo? Or Poseidon? Or-"

"Zeus." I shift a little bit, dropping my hands back into my lap. "My godly parent is … is Zeus."

"Zeus." Neville sounds almost skeptical. "Your 'arsehole' dad abandoned your mom is the bloody King of the Gods."

"Apparently so," I sigh. "I still haven't forgiven him, by the way. Being the king of the gods doesn't excuse you from being a heart-breaking git."

Harry snorts and Hermione raises an eyebrow at me.

"What about the superpowers?" Ron presses. "Are you super-strong? Can you fly? How about-"

"Fly," I interrupt. "Just fly, I think. From what I can tell, every demigod inherits something from their godly parent. Like Thalia. She's a daughter of Zeus, and she can control lightning. Will's dad is Apollo, and he's the camp's best medic."

"Fly." Harry sounds astonished. "You can fly?!"

"Yep."

We sit in silence for a moment. Ron and Harry both look astounded. Hermione and Neville both look a bit hesitant; they're exchanging a silent conversation. I can't tell what Luna is thinking; her head is down and she's fiddling with her hair.

"Prove it," Hermione says suddenly.

"Pardon?"

"Prove it," Neville echoes. "That this is real. That there are really gods up there." He points up at the sky

I bite my lip in thought before I look up at the sky and cup my hands around my mouth. " _Oi!_ You up there! Doesn't 'Zeus' get boring after a while? I can arrange for you to be called 'Big Z' if you want. Or 'The Super-Duper Weather Man.' Or-"

I'm cut off by the sound of thunder.

"There you go," I say, grinning a bit.

"You're purposely irritating the King of the Gods?" Hermione looks incredulous.

"You're the one who asked," I point out with a shrug.

"We asked you to - oh, never mind." Hermione heaves a sigh.

The door to the Big House bangs open. Thalia is standing there, outlined by light from inside.

"Chiron's going to call a full-camp meeting," she calls. "You should come in."

"Alright." I stand up, brushing off my pants. "We're coming."

The others stand as well. Luna gives one of the thestrals a Gurdyroot. It crunches on the treat as Luna whispers into its ear. With a snort, it turns and wanders off into the darkness, followed by the other thestrals.

"I asked them to go to the stables," Luna says, watching them go. "Hopefully they'll stay." Hermione rolls her eyes.

We turn and make our way toward the Big House. As we walk, I study the night sky, a spray of diamonds across the midnight heavens.

"You know, I _thought_ this was the demigod camp," Luna remarks, twisting a strand of hair around one finger.

My jaw drops. "How -"

"Mummy used to tell me stories," she says seriously. "I always thought she was making them up, at least until we ended up in the forest. I could hear the trees whispering to each other and I saw an ant-monster and that's when I realized that all the stories were coming true."

I walk in silence, mind reeling. _Mummy used to tell me stories._ "Your mum must have been a demigod. There's no other explanation for it." I turn to look up at her.

Luna cocks her head to one side thoughtfully. "I think she told me once that she used to spend summers in the States. Yes, it does make sense, doesn't it?"

I nod. "Yeah. I guess it does."

We've reached the steps a few paces ahead of the others. Behind us, the boys are laughing at something Hermione said.

I step ahead of Luna to hold open the door. The others quiet as light pours out into the still night. From inside, I can hear the quiet chatter of voices.

As they come up the steps, I offer my friends a tired smile. "Welcome to camp, guys."


	8. Chapter Seven

Disclaimer: All characters, settings, and other story components taken from the Harry Potter, Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Heroes of Olympus, or Trials of Apollo series belong to J.K. Rowling and Rick Riordan, respectively. I do not own any of the aforementioned. I do not intend to use this story commercially.

A/N: Hello! I'm getting this out earlier than the past few chapters (yay!)! This chapter doesn't contain huge Harry Potter spoilers (Luna _is_ from the Order of the Phoenix), but it does contain plot spoilers for the Last Olympian and has story components and characters from the Trials of Apollo. As of now, I'm planning on continuing to post on the weekends. Please read and _please review!_

* * *

My friends follow me down one hall, then another. Finally, we stop at an open door. Inside, about a dozen campers are scattered through a spacious assembly room, quietly chatting. I see Will and Thalia talking near one of the tall windows.

"Sophy!" Across the room, Percy jumps off of a window seat, hurrying over to us. "Where _were_ you? Are you okay?"

"I had to find my friends," I start.

"Why didn't you _tell_ us?" Annabeth has joined us. "We could've _helped_ you."

"Sorry." I push my ponytail back over my shoulder. "I wasn't really thinking."

"At least you found them," Annabeth says with a slight sigh. "Thank the gods for that."

"I did! That reminds me: these are Hermione, Harry, Ron, Luna, and Neville. Guys, meet Percy and Annabeth."

"Pleasure," Hermione says calmly, holding out a hand. Annabeth reaches out to shake it.

"Sophy!"

I turn to see Will beckoning to me from one of the window seats. He's placed a black medical bag on the seat next to him.

"I need to bandage your leg again."

"One moment!" I call back. I gesture to my friends. "Let me-"

"Sophy!" He stands up, making his way around a group of Athena campers. Stepping around the last girl, he points at my leg. "You're bleeding. You really shouldn't be putting any weight on that.."

I look down; a trickle of blood is oozing from my unbound wound.

"Give me a moment, Will."

I turn back to my friends, but Will grabs my shoulder. I turn to face him and yelp as he reaches down and picks me up like a little kid. As he straightens, I grab the back of his shirt to keep my balance.

" _Will!_ Put me _down!"_

"Nope." Will turns toward the window seats. "You're coming with me. That cut _needs_ to be treated. Now."

I heave a sigh as I'm carried across the room. Luna gives me a little wave, which I return over Will's shoulder.

Will sets me down on the window seat, tilting my leg to see the gash. As he rummages around in his bag for something, I turn to face the rest of the room.

I'm sitting opposite the door where we came in. Percy and Annabeth are standing against the doorframe, talking. On the wall to my left is a huge blackboard, spanning the width of the room. More clumps of campers are clustered against it. I turn to my right. Chairs are stacked against the back wall on rolling chair racks. My friends are sitting with their backs against one of the dollies and the adjoining wall.

"There," Will says, tapping me on the shoulder. I look up; he's finished bandaging my cut.

"Thanks, Will." I shift to face him.

"A few things." He holds up a finger. "You may be able to walk, but you're still really hurt. I want you stay at the Big House during the day."

" _What?"_

"You can eat in the mess hall and go to campfire, but nothing beyond that. Promise?"

" _Wiiiiill!"_

"Sophy. Do you promise?"

"I promise," I echo with a sigh.

"Thank you. And please _stay here._ " He turns to put away his supplies.

I glare at his back as he bends over his bag. Carefully, so as to not draw attention, I stand up and back away, scanning the room for my friends.

They've moved; they're now sitting on the window seat closest to the chalkboard. I weave my way around a cluster of Demeter girls as I make my way toward them.

"Shh!" The group falls silent as I approach. Harry turns to me and raises an eyebrow. "So," he says, voice serious. "What was the first Chocolate Frog card that I ever received?"

"Dumbledore." I lean up against the wall. "On the train? You didn't recognize him, and then you asked why the picture disappeared."

He gives a sigh of relief, scooting over to make room for me. "Good. You're you."

"Always the tone of surprise," I tease, sitting down beside him.

The door opens and a faint chatter fills the room. Campers pour through in twos and threes and fours: Chiron must've called the meeting. I recognize Piper and Jason as they come in; they weave through the crowd to join Percy, Annabeth, and Thalia.

I bite my lip, looking from them to my schoolmates. "I'm sorry, guys. I should probably…"

"If you need to go, then go," Hermione says from behind Ron. "We'll be fine."

"I'll be right back," I promise, carefully standing up.

I weave my way through the crowd. More campers are still coming and the room is quickly getting crowded. I stand on my tiptoes, trying to find my friends, but I still can't see over the campers.

I take a step back and smack into something. I turn around: I've backed into the chalkboard. I try one more time to find Percy or Annabeth in the crowd, to no avail.

With a sigh, I carefully sit down against the wall under the chalkboard. It's partly to give my leg a rest, but partly for the noise. Ever since I was little, loud noises have given me headaches. The ceaseless chatter of the campers is making my head pound.

I grit my teeth together in frustration. My head hurts. My leg hurts. I want to sit down properly. I want to sleep. I want everyone to sit down and _shut up!_ I slap the floor in frustration - and jump when _sparks fly_.

I sit up, mind racing. _How?_ I check for my wand … it's in my opposite pocket. I cautiously poke the floor - nothing happens.

 _Sparks … how could I cause sparks like that? … how could I cause sparks …_

I stare at my hands, utterly bewildered. _Sparks … sparks …_

Memories flit across my vision. I remember Jason calling down lightning on the acromantula. I remember the lightning bolts that shimmered across the doors of Cabin 1. I remember … I remember the sing-along in the amphitheater. Thalia pushed Jason, and from where she touched him, _sparks flew._

 _Jason can call down lightning. He's a son of Zeus. Cabin 1 had lightning bolts on the doors. Cabin 1 is the cabin for Zeus. Thalia caused sparks to fly by touching Jason. They're both children of Zeus. I somehow caused sparks just now._ I'm a daughter of Zeus. _Can I control sparks and lightning, too?_

I take a deep breath, closing my eyes. Feeling utterly ridiculous, I imagine unscrewing a mental tap that releases sparks instead of water. I open my eyes.

Sparks are fizzling from my palms.

I giggle, shocked. _I can control electricity._ I screw my mental tap closed, and the sparks disappear.

I let a huge breath whoosh out. I can control electricity! _Electricity._ The word probes up a swirl of memories: many different lessons in Muggle Studies … Mr. Weasley and his enthusiasm for anything Muggle… and one other …

 _I clutch at Matt's steadying fingers, a bit intimidated by the crowd around us. Muggle children my age and older swarm around me, trying to find good seats around the makeshift stage. Matt had dragged me to another Muggle school to look at, and today, the children are having a … a science fair. I tighten my grip on Matt's head, like a little nine-year bird perched on his shoulders._

 _A man gets up on the stage and tries to say something into the … the microphone. It squeaks; I let go of Matt to cover my ears. After another try, the man simply puts down the odd Muggle thing and shouts at the top of his voice._

 _Half listening, I daydream about the farm and finally getting back to Amelié and the book I'm hoping to finish. It's full of Russian fairy tales, so I can finally fill in the gaps of the stories I remember from Mama._

 _I blink, focusing on the stage. The Muggle man now has a girl standing next to him. Her hair is long, rich, and straight, falling past her waist. She beams at the crowd, and a group of schoolkids chant her name. "Em-ma! Em-ma!"_

 _I watch, curious now, as Emma climbs onto a footstool. The man says something to her, and she places her hands on a huge sphere of silvery metal that's sitting on a cart. She beams nervously at her friends, one of whom is filming the scene on a … a camera._

 _The Muggle man calls something to the crowd and flips a switch on the cart. Slowly, all of the girl's hair - on her head_ and _on her arms - begins to rise into the air. I watch, transfixed, until finally, the silky strands are hanging in the air, straight up from her head in all directions._

 _The schoolkids begin to clap, and Emma grins wildly. The man flips the switch, and her hair falls. No longer straight, it flops messily around her head._

 _Matt swings me down as the crowds begin to disperse. Clutching his hand, a shy little thing, I ask if the spectacle was magic. I'd want to try at home, where Liliya and I could do it together. He laughs, and explains to me about electricity, how Muggles use it, and how it occurs naturally in lightning. I listen, fascinated, as he explains about static electricity and the machine - the Van de Graaff generator._

I lean back slightly as the memory fades. The entire camp must be inside the room now; campers are packed in shoulder-to-shoulder. As I blink to clear my vision, an idea springs, unbidden, into my mind. I stifle a giggle. _Stars, of all things to think of!_ I smile to myself. _Of all the things I'd ever imagine that I'd gain from being a daughter of a Greek god,_ I think, shaking my head, _becoming a human Van de Graaff Generator simply did not make my list._

I close my eyes, unscrewing my mental tap. I have no idea if this will work, if this is even possible, but it's worth a shot. I imagine the girl, Emma, placing her hands on the Van de Graaff generator, and turn my palms to face the rest of the room.

The results are superb, magnificent, unimaginably hilarious. Shrieks arise as everyone's hair rises up, defying gravity. I even see a boy's buzz cut poof up a bit. Someone pulls out a Muggle contraption - a camera - and begins to snap pictures of the room. His friends block their faces with their hands, leaning away. Others are laughing and I'm laughing too, leaning back against the wall. For whatever reason, my hair hasn't puffed up - not that I mind.

"Jason! What in the world?" someone shrieks from across the room, apparently clinging to the fact that Jason can control electricity.

Jason is flabbergasted. "What? I … I wouldn't … Thalia?!"

Thalia is just as defensive. "I'm too _mature_ to pull this off, little brother!" Giggles spread across the room as Thalia strides over to Jason, their argument brewing. Her spiky hair reminds me of an ink-black hedgehog. "But it _wasn't me,_ and since _you're_ the only one who can …" He trails off. Both he and Thalia seem to come to the same conclusion at the same time.

" _Sophy!"_ Thalia barks. "Where are you? Get over here, now!"

"Here you are!" Someone grabs my arm, and, before I can make heads or tails of what is going on, Will has picked me up again and is carrying me across the room. Some campers applaud, probably the pranksters. I see Annabeth clamping Percy's hands together, silencing his applause, although her expression is greatly amused. In the corner, one poor Aphrodite camper is trying frantically to tug her curly strands back down.

"Why _is_ it," Will complains, "that you constantly seem to be trying to get away from me?"

The camp simply explodes into laughter. I see Percy doubling over with laughter and Annabeth shaking her head, grinning. Even the poor little Aphrodite camper is snickering along with her friends.

I twist around to the other side of the room. The laughter is infectious; I'm holding back giggles. My friends from Hogwarts are cracking up as well, although Hermione is simply shaking her head in mock shame and genuine amusement. I look down to see Nico shaking in a futile attempt to staunch his laughter.

Will has reached Thalia and Jason by now. He sets me down, although he puts out a hand to steady me.

"What _do_ you have to say for yourself, young lady?" Thalia scolds, her grin rendering her attempt completely useless.

I study my fingernails, feigning disinterest. "Depends on who's asking," I deadpan. This sends a ripple of fresh laughter through the meeting room.

"Honestly, Jason!" Thalia bursts out suddenly, turning to her brother. "I'm _horribly_ disappointed in you."

Jason sputters. "What? Why? Tha-"

Thalia cuts him off. "You're going to be a legal adult in a year or two, Jason, I expect more from you! Honestly! You're seventeen years old, for Olympus's sake! Why - why on _earth_ didn't you think of this earlier?"

Jason, obviously preparing to argue something along the lines of _I am a perfectly responsible person_ , is rendered speechless. "Ex- _cuse_ me?"

Thalia waves her hand across the room. "This trick is _amazing,_ a stroke of genius! You've been at Camp Jupiter for _how_ long, now? Surely you could've come up with this. I'm disappointed, Jason, disappointed." Barely containing a smile, she turns to me. "Very well done, Sophy. I'm proud." I return her high-five.

"Yeah, nice, nice, but how about turning gravity right-side-up?" one girl - Clarisse - complains from the corner. Her bandana has fallen off, and her dirty-blonde hair, obviously uncombed, is looking even more tangled than it was before. "I'm starting to feel like a porcupine."

I send her a wicked grin at her latter remark, but the rest of the campers attribute it to the former.

"So," Will prompts. "We'll give you the best shower slots - _and_ activity slots - for … a week after your leg heals. If you let our hair down, that is." Although this seems to be a huge privilege, no one protests. The Aphrodite camper is clasping her hands pleadingly.

I tilt my head, considering this. Even though I really only did this to get everyone to quiet down, the other campers seem to expect me to get something more out of it. A slight motion in the corner of my eye catches my attention, and I shift slightly to see Nico waving his hand to get my attention. Once our eyes meet, he reaches down and slowly taps his leg. With a wink, he disappears back into the crowd.

A smile tugs at the corner of my mouth. " _Actually,"_ I say, letting my grin unfold, "I'm thinking of something else."

Will shifts nervously. "Well…" He drawls out the word. "We can't promise too much more-"

"Oh, I wasn't thinking much," I say lightly. "See, Will, I'm _really_ not looking forward to spending the next week or two in the Big House."

Will's face hardens. "You are _injured,_ and you will be _staying put_ until you heal, understa-"

"Of course I understand," I continue. "I won't run. I won't partake in any … ah … _strenuous_ activities. I'll try to sit down as much as possible. Although, if you're certain, that's fine, too. The only people who'll be seeing you will be the satyrs and dryads, and I'm sure that they won't mind. Oh, and you'll be seeing your friends. So it _isn't_ really that big of a deal."

He crosses his arms. "You'll be staying _in the Big House."_

I shrug. "Then these next couple of weeks will be _so_ hilarious."

I hear a snort from the back of the room. I glance over my shoulder to see Harry, Ron, and Neville all stifling laughter. Neville waves his hand at me. _Nothing. It's nothing, it's fine._ I roll my eyes and turn back to the demigods.

Will is becoming as flabbergasted as Jason. "You - you wouldn't seriously… "

I raise an eyebrow. "Embarrassed, Solace?"

His face flushes red. "N-no. I'm not embarrassed. Seriously." Percy whispers something in his ear, and Will's blush deepens. "Shut it, you two!" Percy and Jason dissolve into laughter, and Thalia makes tsking noises.

"So just to clarify," Nico puts in, appearing from behind me, "the only way that you'll reverse the static hair is if Will lets you out of staying in the Big House under those conditions you just listed."

"Spot on correct, Nico." I turn back to Will, who, at the appearance of Nico, has blushed the color of Ron's Gryffindor sweater.

Nico pulls me over and whispers in my ear, "The few times he gets embarrassed, it's incredibly fun to push him a bit, 'cause he'll get all flustered like this."

It takes me a great bit of self-control not to burst into laughter at this remark. I whisper back, "If you ever need a partner in crime, you know, I'll be pleased to help."

"Sure." He winks at Will, who flushes even further, to the delight of the camp.

"You two are evil," he mumbles, covering his face with his hands.

"So, Will," I say, leaning up to him casually. If I was tall enough, I would've put my arm on his shoulder. Nico grins and mirrors me, making the tips of Will's ears flare up. "I'd be more likely to get into trouble _in_ the Big House. You know, out of rebellion and whatnot." Leo stands on tiptoes to give me a thumbs-up over Jason's shoulder.

Now, the tips of Will's ears are flaring red, too, and Nico is barely containing his laughter

"I hate you guys," Will complains, daring to sneak a peek from under his hands. Unfortunately, his eyes meet with Nico's, who seizes the moment to wiggle his eyebrows at Will, giving him a dangerously crooked half-smile. Will flushes even deeper, turning away.

"Stoooop!" he moans, covering his face with his hands again.

"Say it," I coax. "Just say it…"

"Fine!" he bursts out, interrupting me. "Fine! Just … just … argh!" He turns away from Nico's cheeky grin and buries his face in the shoulder of a girl standing behind us. "Kaylaaa, make them stop," he whines.

Kayla pats his head, barely stifling her laughter. Her shock of green hair poofs up like a Muggle cheerleader's pompom. "Poor baby," she coos, rubbing his back. Will has to bend over to lean on her, but neither of them seem to care. "Is mean mean Nico making you sad again?" Nico and Kayla both crack up at this. One of the Stoll brothers is filming the scene on his camera.

"Not you too!" Will protests, moaning. "Why is everyone I know so _corruptible?"_

Kayla rolls her eyes and grabs Will by the wrist, dragging him away behind her. "Come on, poor baby," I hear her say. Will protests, but they disappear through the quickly parting crowd.

I high-five Nico and turn off my imaginary tap of sparks. For one scary moment, everyone's hair stays floating, but when I let out my breath, it drifts back down, once again a servant of gravity.

"Nico, you're going to corrupt her beyond belief at this rate," Thalia says, tugging her hair back into place around her silver circlet.

"Hypocrite," Percy puts in, resting his elbow on Jason's shoulder. "You're just jealous that he got here first."

They dissolve into bickering as Annabeth pushes her way up to the front of the room, accompanied by Piper and Hazel. They spread out and the front group of campers begin to sit down in rows, joking and chatting with their friends.

"Fred and George got to you more than I realized," a voice says in my ear.

"Hey, Ron. Guys." I lead my friends toward an empty area near the front of the room. Harry, Ron, and Hermione sit down together, and Harry scoots over to make room for Neville. Luna plops down next to me, apparently lost in thought. I lean over and wave my hand in front of her head.

"Wrackspurt got you?" I ask sympathetically, making her grin.

"Don't encourage her, Soph," Hermione scolds, but she quickly mouths an apology as I give her a look.

"So, everyone here is a … a whatsit? A demigod?" Ron asks, leaning around Hermione to look at me.

"Everyone," I confirm. "I mean, some of the people coming in now are tree nymphs and satyrs, but everyone else is."

"Tree nymphs and satyrs," Hermione breathes. I grin, leaning back to see the others. Luna is still lost in thought. Harry and Ron both look astounded. Neville … Neville is staring at something above my head with a look of horror on his face.

Without really thinking, I swing a fist back behind me. I connect with something solid and turn to see Connor Stoll stumble and drop a plastic water bottle. The uncapped bottle is mostly full of colored water, which splashed a bit on the floor as I catch it. Connor falls a moment later, banging his elbows on the floor. I look from him to the water bottle in my hand.

"Do it," Luna says from beside me in a dreamy voice.

With a shrug, I pour the water on his head.

Travis, standing a few meters away, bursts into raucous laughter as his twin stands up, sputtering. I throw the empty bottle at Travis; it smacks his shoulder. This only makes him laugh harder.

"You have very weird friends," Ron says, watching as a very disgruntled Connor join his twin.

Hermione swats him on the shoulder. "Hypocrite."

"Would he _really_ have dumped that on your head?" Harry asks, staring at the puddle of brilliant pink water on the floor.

"Would Fred and George do something like that?" I return.

"Definitely," he answers in a heartbeat.

"There you go."

"Oi!" Neville interrupts, waving a hand at us. "Those kids are trying to start the meeting."

We turn to the front of the room. The nine are standing in front with Clarisse, who appears to be lightly scolding (read: joking with) Connor, whose hair is dripping pink water onto his shirt.

Nico beckons to me from the front of the room. He's setting down two folding chairs, one presumably for me.

"I think they want me up there with them," I tell my friends. "Sorry."

Neville nods, and, out of habit, reaches over for the ring I wear on my right hand. It's a tad bit too big; he spins it right-side up again. "Good luck."

Ron, who apparently has never noticed my ring before now, nearly chokes on his surprise, pointing at the ring. "You two - can't - you aren't - aren't _married?"_

"Ronald!" Hermione sputters. "Of all of the things to say to your best friend!"

"What? It was an honest question?"

I smack him lightly on the shoulder. "I. Am. Fifteen. Years. Old!"

"Fine, fine! But _are_ you?"

"Merlin, Ron! No!"

"Not married, but engaged? Betrothed?"

" _Ron!_ My _goodness!_ We're only _dating!_ "

Ron's mouth drops open. " _Dating!_ Since when?"

I turn to look at Neville; he's looking just as incredulous as I am.

"Since the _Yule Ball!"_

"Seriously, mate," Neville adds. "How could you have not noticed?"

"I - I - still! You - you two! Dating!"

"Drop it, Ron," Harry says, looking amused. Ron shuts his mouth, looking dumbfounded.

"Coming, Sophy?" Nico calls.

"Yeah." I turn back to my friends as I get up. "Behave, okay?"

"The trust is astounding!" Neville teases. "I can feel the love."

"Yeah, yeah. Love you, too."

I settle down in the chair next to Nico, who whistles under his breath teasingly. I sigh and give him a little shove.

"Aw, you two are cute together," he complains.

"Aren't you supposed to be paying attention to the meeting?" I prompt.

"It hasn't started yet. Anyway-"

At the front of the room, Annabeth clears her throat.

"Okay, the meeting is officially starting! Camp Half-Blood, come to order."

Everyone quiets, with the occasional fidget from the rows of cross-legged campers. "Cabins, count off."

Farther down the blackboard, Jason and Thalia call out, "Cabin 1!"

"Cabin Three! Whoop, whoop!" Percy punches the air.

"Four!" Campers raise their hands from all over the room.

The Cabin 5 doesn't even call out their number; they simply explode into raucous cheering.

Annabeth's cabin, Cabin 6, is the most reserved cabin by far. One camper doesn't even look up; she's so engrossed with her book.

Someone in Cabin 7 throws a stress ball at Nico, making him duck as it thwacks the chalkboard. Will is back, along with Kayla. The former is glaring in Nico's direction, intent on revenge, while the latter seems greatly amused.

There's a very pregnant pause for Cabin 8. Jason pokes Thalia, who blinks. "Oh, Eight. Just me. The others are … hunting." This spreads a few giggles around the room. I hear Hermione gasp and plunge into a lengthy explanation to Harry and Neville (Ron refuses to listen) about Artemis and her Hunters.

The rest of the cabins count off without much fuss, with the exception of Leo bursting fully into flames when Cabin 9 is called.

"Okay, okay," Annabeth says, as the Iris and Hecate cabins begin to plunge into a full-on Mist vs. Rainbows battle. "Calm down. We actually are here to do important things. Guys. Guys!"

"I got this," Will pipes up, pushing himself up from where he's been leaning against the chalkboard. Nico whips around to face me, clapping his hands over his ears as fast as he can. In turn, there's only time for me to do the same before Will lets out the worst whistle I have ever heard.

 _Public Service Announcement!_ If you ever have a child of Apollo in your presence, do NOT, under ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, allow your said child of Apollo to EVER perform a supersonic whistle, certainly NEVER EVER EVER INDOORS. NEVER. EVER. (I speak from first-hand experience.)

Even with my hands clamped tight over my ears, Will's whistle is head-splittingly loud and painful. I reel back in shock, banging my head on the chalkboard for good measure. Across the room, shrieks of pain and surprise arise as campers shriek and scramble back and into one another. One Aphrodite camper fakes a faint, nearly knocking her friend over.

Nico turns to face me, his face still screwed up in pain. "I really hate it when he does that. The first time I was there, he did it to kill a bunch of dog-headed monsters."

I wince, ears ringing. "Honestly? I think he just about killed everyone in here, too."

"New rule!" A Hermes camper, sitting near the Stoll brothers, turns to Will with a look of growing indignation. "No whistling indoors, Solace."

"Calm down, Cecil." Will leans back casually, using the chalkboard as a support.

Kayla promptly smacks Will _._ He recoils, and she slaps him again. "Calm down? _Calm down?_ I was standing right next to you, idiot! You owe me a new set of eardrums!"

Will is backing away, hands up in surrender. "Sorry! Ow! Kayla - ow - I'm sorry! Ow!"

"Sorry! Is! Not! Good! Enough!" she shrieks, smacking Will one for every word. Another Apollo camper - tall, with cornrows - wraps his arms around Kayla, pinning her arms to her sides, and picks her up clear off of the ground. "Austin! You traitor to the cause!"

"If you punch our head counselor to death, Kay, there isn't going to _be_ any cause." Austin sounds as though he's about to burst into laughter.

"Now that our meeting has started," Annabeth says, poker-faced, "we should probably begin." She turns around and beckons to me. I start to get up, but Will clears his throat from his side of the room. I sit back down and scoot my chair forward until I'm at Annabeth's side.

"You should start," I say, gesturing to Annabeth.

"Okay. So we - um, us nine along here - we were fighting a hellhound that had come up the road by Half-Blood Hill. We were going through the woods, trying to kill it. We did manage to kill the monster. After it died, we noticed that our surroundings looked completely unfamiliar. We didn't have much time to think about it, though, because Sophy showed up."

I take up the story. "My friends and I go to a boarding school in Scotland. There's a huge forest on the grounds. Anyway, I was walking along the lake, and I saw this lot fighting that monster. We've seen some pretty weird stuff in the Forbidden Forest, but this was a first. I, um, came up and asked them who they were and what they were doing. I convinced them to let me come back here with them. Let's see … you all know what happened in the amphitheater. When we went in to hunt the acromantulas -"

Ron makes a choking noise. "Acromantulas?"

I wince. "Yeah. We did manage to kill them."

"They don't disintegrate," Jason adds. "If anyone wants to see some lovely giant spider carcasses, I can hold a tour."

"Ick," moans a Nike girl. "No, thanks."

"And then another monster came, a, um,"

"A myrmeke."

"A myrmeke. Thank you, Leo. So we were chased, and we had to take refuge in Leo's megafort."

"Bunker Nine," Leo corrects.

"Same thing," I say. "After we got back, we held a quick meeting with Chiron and Reyna. At the meeting, Miranda … well, that's your bit."

Miranda takes over briefly. "We've been tracking two pixie dragons in the woods for a while. They disappeared earlier this evening. Before, we'd thought that there was a sort of _exchange_ between that lot and the spiders. But since the two dragons disappeared and two spiders showed up, that meant that there had to have been another exchange."

"And so Sophy bolted," Percy comments. "Out like a flash. We didn't have any idea of what was going on. Just sprinting out of there."

"On an injured leg," Will glares at me.

"My friends are famous for getting trouble while being lost in the woods," I defend. "I'm used to being the one going in to rescue them."

"No fair!" Ron says, voice full of outrage. "What about the time when we were in our first year, and you were doing detention with Hermione and Neville, and you were spooked by that niffler, and Neville says you went absolutely batty?"

I cross my arms. "Being confronted by a strange creature gives me a perfectly reasonable alibi. _You,_ however, have gotten into trouble simply by walking around."

Ron opens his mouth, keen on arguing, but Hermione nudges him. "She's going to utterly destroy you if you keep this up. Quit while you aren't reasonably that far behind."

This gets a ripple of laughter out of my friends. "Anyway," I continue, "I found them, and five thestrals. Thestrals are … ah … sort of like pegasi, I guess? Anyway, we got back here, and then, well, that gets us up to now."

"Thank you, Sophy," Annabeth says, taking over. "Basically, we've got a problem with the woods and, well, I guess, teleportation from here to Scotland. I suppose the only safe fix to that is steering clear of the woods altogether."

"But monsters in our woods could still go back and forth between here and Scotland as long as there are living things in their woods," Nico points out.

"And it doesn't even have to be in the woods," Luna pipes up. "I was standing in the middle of a train station. There aren't any trees inside of a train station."

"Speak for yourself." Ron turns to her. "I was _inside_ the train!"

I frown. _You were in the woods for a full day?_

Annabeth's eyes are wide. "So we can just _disappear,_ out of anywhere, and just appear in Scotland?"

"Um, I gue-"

"Hedwig!" Harry pushes himself to his feet, picking his way toward the windows."

"What?" Annabeth stares at him.

Harry opens the window wide open in response, and then ducks as a very familiar snowy owl soars through the window, followed by a whole stream more. The last owl is followed by a solid _thunk,_ and Harry leans out of the window to produce an unconscious Errol.

"Um, is this normal?" Nico's finger trails from owl to owl, who have clustered around my friends. Tiger, Matt's striped owl, lands on my lap. Hermione gets up on her knees and begins collecting our letters. One of Neville's owls has begun pecking at his wrist, and Neville gives it a light smack.

"Ooh, dear." Hermione is now perusing one of her own letters. "There's a Ministry search going out for us. Mmm. We've been officially reported missing."

Ron, however, has gone pale. One of his letters has begun to smoke, and he holds it at the corner. "Mum," he gets out. "She'll be ballistic." He barely has time to turn away before the envelope goes up in smoke.

 _RONALD BILIUS WEASLEY! YOU HAD BETTER HAVE A VERY GOOD EXPLANATION FOR THIS, YOUNG MAN! DISAPPEARING WITHOUT NOTICE, WITHOUT A TRACE! THERE'D BETTER NOT BE A HAIR HARMED ON YOUR HEAD, NOT ONE! YOUR FATHER AND I ARE WORRIED SICK! IF WE DON'T GET WORD BACK FROM YOU, THEN SO HELP YOUR FATHER AND I…_

The letter disintegrates into ashes, revealing a very shocked Ron sitting behind it. The entire camp stares at him, speechless. The silence is broken only by the hooting of the owls and Luna, who is quietly commentating on the contents of her letter.

"Daddy says to watch out for Wrackspurts, and if it was a Crimson Kook that got me, I'm to tell him what it looks like. Hmm, the Gulping Plimpy population has been falling lately. Not good. I'm to watch out for Heliopaths, of course-"

"What. Was. That." Travis is pointing a finger at Ron.

"Oh, a Howler," Hermione says, not even looking up from her parchment. "A very violent letter."

"And the owls?" Travis appears to be hyperventilating. "And the whatsits? Wracking Spurts? Gulping - pimples?"

"Owls deliver mail," Hermione cut in, not missing a beat. "Wrackspurts and Gulping Plimpies do not exist."

"And this is normal?" Travis burst out, waving his hands in the air and accidentally whacking Connor in the face.

"For wizards, yes, it is."

The room quieted so quickly; any professor present would've had a heart attack from shock.

"Wizards." Travis said, deadly quiet.

I see Jason and Thalia exchange a glance. "Um, let's back up a tad," I cut in.

All attention shifts to me. Expressions range from shocked to amazed to simply not believing Hermione one bit.

"Ooh!" Leo jumps up and down, waving his hands. "Can I do the thing? Can I? Can I? Pleeeease?"

I give him a bewildered look. "Okay? Do the thing?"

Leo clears his throat, and folds his hands primly. "Okay," he begins, in an almost exact impression of my voice. "There is, undercover and blah, a Wizarding World. There are witches and wizards. They can do magic and stuff. When they get to be eleven, for no apparent reason, the Wizarding World decides to pay attention to them and send them to school. The _other_ woods is at Hogworld Magic Academy, which is in Scotland, because why not?" He winks at me. "Nailed it."

I gape at him. "Oh my stars. Merlin help us all."  
"I was close enough!"

"No," Hermione says, shaking her head, "you really weren't."

Leo looks crestfallen. "I wasn't?"

"Okay," Annabeth interrupts. "On to the important stuff." She points a finger at our little cluster. "You all are witches and wizards."

We nod. _Correct._

"You're telling the truth on this?" someone calls from the back of the room.

"Of course we are!" Neville snaps. "Why would we lie about this, I mean-"

"Wingardium Leviosa," Hermione interrupts calmly, directing the spell at a folding chair resting in a corner. The whole camp watches in awe as the chair floats over their heads, bobbing gently, until-

 _BANG!  
_ The whole room erupts into screams, campers ducking for cover in a wave. What remains of the chair - a dusting of ash - floats to the ground.

"Did I do it right?" Luna asks, turning from me to Hermione.

" _Luna!_ " Hermione cries, turning to her.

"I did it?!"

"You can't just go - go _blowing up chairs!"_

"Oh, stop it," I interrupt. "Luna, that was perfect. Just don't ever do that again. _Reparo."_

The ashes float up in a swirl, piecing themselves back together. I magic the chair over to the back of the room again.

"Um, okay," Annabeth says, looking amazed. "So that's magic. Is that how you got everyone back from Scotland? Magic?"

"Apparating," I clarify. "So, yes. Magic."

"Wow."

"So. We've got that all sorted out. What about the whole teleporting business?" Percy asks, tapping a piece of chalk against his fingernails.

"Um," Hermione says, hand in the air, "wasn't Kronos the, um, god, Titan, of time?"

Percy opens his mouth and closes it again. "Er, he's dead. Really dead. So no. I mean, he's the Titan of time, but he didn't do it."

"Oh," Hermione says, only pausing for a moment before a new idea takes over. "Then Hermes is the god of travel-"

An explosion of shouting from Cabin 11 drowns out the end of her sentence. Hermione cringes away from the furious Hermes campers.

"Never mind," she whispers.

"But we don't know _all_ of the deities in the first place, so there's a good chance that a minor immortal is causing the problems." Surprised, I turn to see Neville finishing his train of thought.

Annabeth whirls, latching onto his words. "Good point! Who…"

Neville's hand shoots up. "Me. Sorry."

She laughs, delighted. "Don't apologize! That's … that's smart! I don't know why didn't think of that earlier."  
"But who would it be?" Jason points out. "I've been studying the minor gods since August. There really _isn't_ anyone it could be."

Annabeth chews on her lip. "But there has to be _someone."_

"Remember Chrysaor?" Percy suggests. "No one really knew about him for millennia because of Pegasus. Maybe there _is_ someone, but no one knows about him."

"Or her!" a girl calls from the back of the room.

"Or her," Percy agrees.

"But who would the other person be?" Annabeth argues. "Do you suggest that we should go up to Chiron. 'Hey, Chiron, do you have an evil sibling that you've kept secret for a couple eons? Thanks!'"

Percy scowls. "No, but-"

"Then what?"

Percy huffs. "Never mind."

The room is silent for a moment. Everyone is either thinking or waiting for someone else to speak.

"What about the сторож времени?" I blurt out, shocking even myself. _This is not a moment for Russian fairy tales, numbskull!_ A little voice in my head scolds.

"The - the _what,_ exactly?" Annabeth asks.

My face burns bright red. "Um, сторож времени. _Storozh vremeni._ It's just an old Russian story Мама used to tell me."

Annabeth nods. "Let's hear it."

"Um, right. Сторож времени. The Watchman of Time.

"Long ago, there lived, in the mountains, Father Time. He had his home on the highest peak of the Unreachable Mountain. Since Father Time must stay whole and safe for time to go on, he would send his best and greatest servant, the Watchman of Time, out into the world to do his bidding. This was in an age when Father Time could stop clocks, still the moon, or even halt the rise of the sun.

"But then came the Mongols, and Father Time was flushed deep underground by the flood of the blood of his people to slumber until the end of the world. All of his court upon the Unreachable Mountain followed him, except for the Watchman, who was stranded in the mortal world. The Watchman, driven bitter by his abandonment, turned his back on the courts of Time and disappeared into the mortal world.

"To this day, the Watchman works under the aid of darkness - and of time. Whenever a criminal disappears into the dark of night, it is said that the Watchman has opened the gates of time and space in his aid. And when an innocent vanishes without warning … the Watchman has opened his gates yet again." I finish, looking up at my audience.

Most of the campers are staring at me, speechless. One boy, with blonde hair like Annabeth's, is studiously taking notes.

"In the flood of the blood of his people?" someone blurts out. "And this is a _fairy tale?_ A bedtime story?"

I shrug. "If you think _that_ one's bad, just wait until I tell you-"

"They _don't,"_ Neville interrupts, "want to hear that story."

"Pity."

"D'you think that this Watchman fellow is the villain behind the switches?" Harry asks me.

I bite my lip. "I don't know."

"But it's Russian, like you said." Jason leans forward. "What would a villain from Russia be doing in Ancient Greece?"

"It's not really Russian." Everyone turns to Luna. "I know that story, too. _My_ mum used to tell it to me, except, the way she told it, the Unreachable Mountain was in England, not Russia."

" _Your_ mum?" Annabeth frowns. "But that makes no sense. Your mother was British, correct?"

Luna nods. "She was British, yes. Pandora Fawley Lovegood. She was a demigod, too."

" _Pandora?_ " Miranda stares at Luna. "Pandora's a _legend_ in Cabin 4. She's your mum?"

"Yes."

"Neat," breathes another Demeter girl, Billie.

Thalia leans back against the chalkboard. "Both your mother and Pandora told the same story, with no proof they ever met other than the fact they were both witches. What was your mother's name?"

In a moment of panic, I can't remember. _She's my mother! My mother! Why don't I remember her name?_ In a flood, it comes to me. "Anichka. Anichka Andreyevna Alkaev."

Annabeth pales. "Ani. Ani and Pandora."

I sit up straight. "Ani. How do you know that they called her Ani?"

"Pandora spent summers at camp." Miranda speaks fast, as if she has to get everything out in a stream of words. "One of the Hermes campers had this idea: she would get her dad to send letters to completely random places in the world and the campers would wait to see who responded. Out of about a dozen campers who sent letters, only Pandora got a response. It was Ani. Apparently, they wrote back and forth almost non-stop after that."

I sit in shock. How did I never know about this? How? With a pang, I realize that I was so little when I lost her, she wouldn't have had reason to talk about that part of her past.

"They must have known something," Luna says, her voice echoing in the silent room. "Something. The Watchman isn't just a children's tale. He _has_ to be something more. Something they communicated about." She looks up at me. "They knew something," she repeats.

Percy suddenly slaps the board, a light in his eyes. "Father Time," he says forcefully. "You had Father Time in your story, didn't you?" Luna and I both nod. "In Ancient Greece," he continues, face pale, "Father Time would be…"

The temperature in the room drops about ten degrees, simply out of fear. Fear, stitched in the faces of every camper. Fear, emanating from all corners of the room. Fear.

The words on everyone's tongue almost echo, unsaid, through the looks in everyone's eyes. _The Watchman. The greatest servant to Father Time. And Father Time…_

 _Kronos._


	9. Chapter Eight

Disclaimer: All characters, settings, or other story components taken from the Harry Potter, Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Heroes of Olympus, or Trials of Apollo series belong to J.K. Rowling and Rick Riordan, respectively. I do not own any of the aforementioned. I do not intend to use this story commercially.

A/N: Hello! I hope you enjoy the new chapter. As of now, I still plan to publish every weekend. (We're almost halfway through the story! Wow!) This chapter spoilers for the Last Olympian and House of Hades. I will try to publish by next weekend, 17 and 18 June. Please read and review! _(I would really appreciate any thoughts you have!_ _Please_ _review!)_

* * *

The meeting is dismissed not too long after Percy's suggestion. Annabeth says that it's late and we should get some sleep. But I know she's scared. Everyone's scared. I should know - _I'm_ scared.

We're sitting in Hermione's and Luna's room in the Big House. The boys have been given a bigger room across the hall. Across from me, Hermione is carefully making her bed. As soon as she finishes, Harry and Ron hop on next to her, wrinkling the covers. Hermione rolls her eyes and sits down next to them.

Luna starts to hum. She's sitting on the floor underneath the window, a picture album in her lap. Some girls from Cabin 4 came by earlier with a box of Pandora's old things. Neville and I are sitting on Luna's bed with the box in between us; we've been allotted the task of finding all the pictures.

"What _is_ this?" Neville asks me, pulling something out of the jumbled mess inside the box.

"Is that a Beanie Baby?" Hermione frowns across the room at the bedraggled toy in Neville's hand.

I lean across the box for a better look. "I think so."

"I know, but what _is_ it?" Neville repeats, holding out to me.

"It's … Medusa, I think." I poke at the toy's green hair. "Yeah. It's a Medusa Beanie Baby."

"Probably," Luna says from her spot on the floor. "Can I have another picture?"

I nod and tug a few photos out from under an empty quiver. "Here." I pass them down to her and reach into the box for more.

"I've got one." Neville hands me an old, creased photograph. I take it, holding the photo up to the light. Two women, one of whom is holding a baby, are sitting in the strawberry fields, laughing. I flip the picture over, piecing together the note on the back.

 _Pandora with May and Luke Castellan, Fourth of July_. And then, below that, _May brought her baby to camp for the first time! He was absolutely adorable. May was so delighted! Little Luke has got the best mother in the world. Lucky kid!_

"These are the Castellans," I say, flipping the photograph back over. "That's May, so the baby must be Luke."

Neville leans over my shoulder. "Luke was the kid who led the Titan War, right? The evil one?"

"I don't think he was _evil,_ not truly," I say thoughtfully. "He wasn't happy with the gods, the way they were abandoning their kids. I think Kronos played on that resentment. You know, Luke was the one who killed Kronos in the end."

"Kronos," Ron says, tugging on his tie. "The 'Father Time' bloke. It's his servant we're up against, right?"

"Yep." I hand the photo down to Luna.

" _Someone's_ got to fit your description," Hermione states matter-of-factly, shrugging off her robes. "Who are the other Titans?"

I twirl a strand of hair around one finger, thinking. "Let's see. There was one Rachel mentioned. Hyperion?"

"Hyperion. Good start. Could he be the Gatekeeper?"

"I think he died when Annabeth and Percy were in Tartarus," I say slowly. "I think Krios and Iapetus did, too."

"Right." Hermione nods. "And what about the other two? Koios and Oceanus?"

I tilt my head. "No idea."

"Okay," she says slowly. "Let's start with Hyperion. Who's his family?"

"I don't know!" I pull an old sweater out of the box. "You're the one who took Ancient Runes."

"Does the camp have a library we can look at?" Hermione persists.

"No library," I say with a shake of my head. "Chiron might have a few books."

"But they _have_ to have _something!"_ Hermione cries, wringing her hands. "This a _camp_ for the children of the _Greek gods!_ They _must_ have some materials - some records - family trees - we need to research this, we need to find-"

"Calm down, Hermione," Ron says cautiously. "It's okay. We'll check tomorrow, okay?"

"Fine." Hermione slumps against her pillow. "It _is_ late. I suppose we should get _some_ sleep."

"Are you coming down to Cabin 4, Luna?" I ask.

"I think I'll stay up here with Hermione," she says, sliding the last photograph into her album. Hermione looks a bit relieved.

"Do you want me to walk you down?" Neville asks, dropping the box near the foot of Luna's bed.

"I'll be fine," I say, standing up. "Besides, we don't want to give the Aphrodite cabin a heart attack."

"Giving the Aphrodite cabin a heart attack would be pretty funny," Harry says, writing Mrs. Weasley's name on an envelope.

Neville snorts and I sigh. Ron snatches the letter away from Harry. "What are you writing my mum?"

Harry snatches his letter back. "We're on Long Island, we're safe, and we're helping Sophy follow a new lead on her father. Budge _off,_ Ron!" He stuffs the letter into his pocket.

"Good night, Hermione. Luna." Neville holds the door open for Harry and Ron. "We'll see you tomorrow."

"I'll wake you up in time for breakfast," I promise as the boys disappear into their own room.

"M'kay." Neville gives me a quick hug. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"See you!" I wait until their door closes before turning to hurry back down the stairs.

* * *

Something wakes me in the night. I don't know what - an odd noise, or an odd gust of air. Maybe both. I can't tell. Whatever it is, if I was back in the USSR, it would've spelled out _danger._

I keep still. Liliya is still sleeping beside me. Apparently, Will had brought her back to the cabin while I was in the woods. I turn to face the room. All of the doors and windows are still closed. I frown. What _was_ it that woke me?  
Thunder starts to rumble again. _It always is thundering in Cabin 1_ , I remember. I reach over to tug my sheets back from Liliya-the-blanket-hog, and a flash of lightning illuminates the room.

And I scream.

And scream.

And scream.

Standing above me is the silhouette of Death himself: bony wings, a long, shadowy face. He raises his wings.

"Lu-lumos!" I shriek, groping for my wand. "Impedimenta!"

My second spell hits home, sending the creature stumbling back. I flick my wand again and hold it up like a sword, illuminating the entire room.

I gasp.

Beside me, Liliya barks, hackles raising. She hops down off of the bed, giving another growl at the the thestral - _thestrals_ \- standing in the center of the cabin.

Two. Two thestrals. Two empty beds. Two.

"Jason! Thalia!" I scream, bolting out of bed. Empty. Empty. I throw Thalia's blankets on the floor. Nothing. Still nothing. "Thalia!" I scream again, backing into one of the skeleton horses. I jerk away, smacking into the doors instead. In an instant, I've found the handle and disappeared into the rain.

I stumble across the green, leg throbbing. Gasping for breath, I look up. My eyes lock on a small cabin at the end of the green. _I need to get help._ Slipping on the mud, I relight my wand and start off again.

 _Bam. Bam. Bam._ I pound on the door, shivering in the drenching rain. _Please answer!_

The door flies open I cling to the doorframe, unable to stop my tears.

"Sophy?" Nico opens the door, looking from me to my lit wand with confusion. "What's wrong?"

"Jason," I say, pointing toward Cabin 1. "Jason and Thalia. I woke up, and … and-"

My voice catches. _Gone. Just gone._ Nico stares at me for a moment, then turns toward my cabin. Liliya stands in the doorway, blocking a shadowy figure from exiting.

Hazel appears behind us, pulling a dressing gown on over her pajamas. Memories almost swallow my vision. For a moment, I almost think Hazel's hair glows with flecks of gold.

"Oh, my gods," she whispers, peering through the rain at Cabin 1.

"We have to wake everyone up," Nico says slowly. In that moment, it suddenly hits me how _young_ he is - how young we all are. "We - more people might be missing. C'mon!"

I turn and follow them back out into the night. One hand on her dressing gown, Hazel is knocking on the next cabin over. Nico jogs past her to the odd-numbered cabins. I turn and hurry toward the evens.

"Wake up!" I yell, hammering on Cabin 10. "Wake up!" I hear rustling inside; people are starting to get up.

Piper yanks open the door so fast, I almost knock on her face. "Jason and Thalia," I blurt out, wiping rainwater off of my face. "Jason and Thalia. We're meeting … well, I don't know. But we're waking everyone up."

Pipe turns pale, and then I remember her and Jason standing together at the meeting. _Oh._ "Jason's strong. He'll be okay. Come on!" She doesn't hesitate, yelling orders to her cabin before joining me out in the rain.

"Is anyone else gone?" she demands as we run - stumble, really - down past 8, to 6.

"That's what we're trying to figure out," I respond, banging as hard as I can on the door. She joins in, tapping on the window.

"Who's there?" Annabeth opens the door with knife in hand. "Sophy? It's the middle of the night!"  
"Jason and Thalia," Piper says from behind me."They're gone. We're getting everyone up."

"Right." Annabeth gives us a nod and disappears back into her cabin.

"I'll get Demeter," Piper calls to me. "You go to the Big House. Chiron's near the sitting room. Your friends are upstairs. Argus is off of the front hall. Meet me in the Assembly Room."

"See you there," I say, shivering in the cold night air. After a moment of hesitation, I turn back to my own cabin.

Rain has splattered in through the doors. Liliya stands guard as I pull the door closed behind me.

"Hey, Lils," I say over my shoulder. I dig out jeans and a jumper from my messenger bag, hanging my sopping pajamas on statue-Zeus's outstretched arm. I flick my wand again and again to dry my hair, and, after a moment, transfigure Jason's toothbrush into an umbrella and two toilet-paper rolls into a pair of crutches.

"C'mon," I call to Liliya, opening the umbrella. I push the door open, fumbling for the crutches, and pull it closed behind me.

My bare feet squish in the mud, but I don't care. I'm too worried about my friends. What if more people are gone? Is the Watchman targeting me, specifically? No. He can't be. He'd have taken more people - Nico, Will, Annabeth, Rachel, Liliya. I squint through the rain to see Nico pounding on the door of Cabin 3 and Hazel disappearing into the Hypnos cabin.

I prop my umbrella open on the porch of the Big House, wiping my feet on the mat and stepping inside. I'm met by a young man who's blinking the sleep out of his eyes - including ones on his neck and arms. I try not to stare.

"Um, Jason and Thalia are gone. We're waking everyone up."

The young man - Argus? - fixes all of his eyes on me and nods slowly. After a moment, he turns and points at the muddy doormat.

"It's raining," I say, blushing slightly. "I - ah- forgot shoes."

He sighs and turns open a closet door, reaching inside to pull out an armful of umbrellas. Shifting the load to one arm, Argus reaches over to me and taps me on the shoulder, then points down another hallway.

"Thanks," I say as he brushes past me to head outside.

I follow Argus's instructions and take the smaller hallway. I pass what must be the sitting room before the hallway dead-ends into a single door. I take a deep breath and knock.

"Hello?" Chiron calls after a moment. He doesn't open the door.

"Jason and Thalia are gone," I repeat for the fourth time that evening. "We're getting everyone up."

"Thank you, Sophy." I hear him moving around inside. "I will be out in a moment."

I nod and turn, making for the stairs. Luna opens her door as I come, crutches thumping, down the hallway.

"What is it?" she asks. "I've been awake, and I heard shouting outside…"

"More disappearances," I say grimly. "Get Hermione."

She disappears into their bedroom, and I turn, hammering hard on the boys' door. I prop my crutches up on the wall and keep banging frantically. _Wake up! Wake! Up!_

"What is Merlin's name?" Neville yanks open the door. "It _can't_ be breakfast-time already!"

"You're okay. Thank the stars." He opens his mouth, but I keep talking. "Jason and Thalia are gone. Wake up Harry and Ron. Everyone's meeting downstairs."

"Sophy?" Harry groans from the bunk bed. "What are you doing?"

"I'm doing recruiting for the Ministry," I say sarcastically. "What do you think I'm doing? We have to wake up now!"

"At four o'clock in the morning?" Ron rolls over, almost falling off of the top bunk.

"It's an emergency. Jason and Thalia are gone." I grab my crutches and reach for Liliya, giving her a quick scratch behind the ears. "Get dressed and meet me in the Assembly Room. I've got to go make sure everything's okay."

Outside, the rain is heavier, if anything. A small stream of campers make their way to the Big House, some clutching Argus's umbrellas. Mine is gone, so I take one from the closet.

"What's going on?" Someone touches my arm, and I turn to see two girls under an umbrella. "I'm Laurel and this is Holly. Hazel left before she told us what's happening."

"Jason and Thalia are gone," I say, ignoring the lump that forms in my throat. They nod and disappear into the Big House.

"Just _open up!"_ I hear. To my left, Nico is hammering on the door of Cabin 5, to no avail. "Open up! Open! Up!"

I skirt a puddle and join him. "Need help?"

He gestures at the door. "It's locked. They won't answer."

"Um, let's see." I draw my wand. "Alohomora." There's a click, and I drag the door open.

"Oi!" I yell, my voice echoing slightly. "Wake up!" I find the light switch and flick it on.

A clamor of complaints and angry shouts rises. "What are you doing in here?" One boy asks, propping himself up on his elbows. "Get out!"

"No!" I snap, my exhaustion quickly turning to anger. "Okay, everyone listen - _listen up! OI!"_

Someone's thrown a knife at me. It's buried in the doorframe about twenty or so centimeters above the top of my head. I stand on my tiptoes and wrench it out of the wood.

"LISTEN UP!" I bellow, and the cabin falls silent. "Jason and Thalia Grace are gone. Everyone - which includes _you_ lot - is supposed to come up to the Big House. Please get dressed and meet us in the Assembly Room." I turn to leave, but pause and turn back. "Oh, and by the way, the next time someone throws a _knife_ at me, _I'm_ throwing it _back_." I pause. "And I _never_ miss."

"Remind me to never reckon with you when you're mad," Nico says, holding up an umbrella for me. I laugh as we turn back toward the Big House.

"Hey, di Angelo! Wait up!" Will Solace is waving to us from the doorway of the Apollo cabin. "Kayla and Austin took our last umbrella." We turn back, although Will jogs out to close the distance. I shrink back a bit as he takes the umbrella from Nico; Will towers over both of us. "Not up to braving the rain, Solace?" Nico teases as we hurry to match our paces to Will's long ones. I have to walk double-time to keep up.

"At four o'clock in the morning, when people are going missing and it's pitch-black out? No, thanks!"

"Aw. Afraid of the dark?" Nico's voice is tinged with laughter. I suddenly make the connection. _Hades. Helm of Darkness. Son of Hades. Oh._

"You wish, Death Breath!" Will gives Nico a playful shove.

"Oh, come _on,"_ I say, a bit teasingly. "It's nothing to be ashamed of. _I've_ been afraid of the dark since I was little, and I've turned out to be a _completely_ lovely person." Will gives a tiny snort at this, which makes Nico and me crack up.

"And here we are!" Will spreads his arms out, as if he's a tour guide and not a half-asleep teenager wearing jeans, a pajama shirt, and knee-high fly-fishing boots.

"Hey, Miranda," Nico says as we climb onto the porch. Will props our umbrella up to dry.

"Hey, guys." Miranda sounds exhausted - we all do - but she does especially, leaning slumped against the wall next to the bench that she's sitting on. "Check with your head counselor as you go in."

Inside, campers have split up to join their cabins. Will jogs off, counting the Apollo campers scattered around the room. Nico waves to Hazel.

I wind through the campers, Liliya at my heels, to find my schoolmates.

"Sophy!" I hear. Turning toward the chalkboard, I pick my way toward my friends. "It's crazy in here, isn't it?"

"Fairly," I say, looking around the room.

"I only got four hours of sleep!" Ron moans. "Your stupid harpies kept me up for an _hour_ after the meeting ended."

"Sorry, Ron," I say, propping up my crutches.

"Cabins, count off!" Annabeth barks from the doorway.

There's a very pregnant pause before I realize that I have to start. "Cabin 1."

"Three. Just me," Percy says from beside Annabeth.

Miranda closes the door behind her. "Four. We're all present."

"Five. Here."

"Six. Present." Annabeth steps outside, calling something to Argus.

"Seven. Ditto."

I settle down next to Hermione. Her hair is twisted back in a plait. Neville and Luna scoot over to make more room as the rest of the cabins count off.

"So what happened?" someone calls from the back of the room.

"I woke up," I say simply. "There were two thestrals in my cabin. Jason and Thalia were gone. I started waking people up"

"So now what?" someone else asks.

"I guess we just sit here," Piper says, fingering a photograph. "I guess the Watchman only wants to take people when no-one's expecting it?"

"Fair enough." Annabeth closes the door again. "I suggest trying to get a tiny bit of sleep. It's been a _really_ long night."

Luna has curled up on the floor. She must've brought a pillow from upstairs. Wedged in between the two of us, Neville is fluffing up his own pillow. Hermione has pulled out a book, although she's in a whispered conversation with Harry. On Harry's other side, Ron is snoring loudly.

"Here," Neville whispers to me. "Lean forward a bit." I oblige, and he slides the pillow back against the wall behind us.

"Thanks," I whisper, leaning back. I pull my knees up, curling into him slightly. Before I know it, I'm asleep.


	10. Chapter Nine

Disclaimer: All characters, settings, or other story components taken from the Harry Potter, Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Heroes of Olympus, or Trials of Apollo series belong to J.K. Rowling and Rick Riordan, respectively. I do not own any of the aforementioned. I do not intend to use this story commercially.

A/N: Happy Father's Day! These next few chapters are going to take the longest. I'll try to get each one out as soon as I can. Judging by the edits I'm planning on making, each could take from a few days to a week or two. I can't make any definite promises right now. I really don't think this chapter contains any notable spoilers. Please, please, please review! (Thanks to AACM25 for reviewing).

* * *

 _My dreams are a muddled sea of memories._

I'm sitting on my stool as Mama ladles stew into a bowl. She turns around and holds it out to me; I take it. _What do we say, Sophya?_ Thank you, Mama. _Remember, baby girl, words and kindness are your two sharpest weapons. Use them wisely._

My breath comes in sharp heaves as I hurry through the forest, Liliya hot on my heels. I scramble over a fallen tree and drop down into the hidden space underneath. Liliya wiggles under the tree to join me. _Shh, pup. You have to be quiet._ After a moment, my ears catch on a stray sound; light footsteps are quickly approaching. Liliya whimpers. _Shh!_ The fallen tree creaks as someone climbs over. A lithe figure drops down next to me. _You must be Ani's daughter._ I stare back at the girl. She's several years older than am. Her hair has been cut short, like a boy's. Even though her face is smudged and her expression is hard, her eyes are gentle. _It's okay._ She extends her hand. _Come with me._

I sit uncomfortably on the chair. The strange blonde lady beams at me. I scrunch my fingers up in Liliya's fur. _Can I bring my dog?_ She exchanges a glance with the green-eyed man. _I won't come without my dog._

* * *

I wake with a start. I sit up, blinking blearily. Most of the room is still asleep. A faint light is coming in through the windows. _Early morning._

"Good morning," Neville whispers to me. He's wide awake, book in hand. Judging by the crick in my neck, I probably had my head on his shoulder.

"Morning," I echo, rubbing my neck. "Sorry abou-"

"No problem," he interrupts, turning to smile at me. "Sleep well?"

"Mmm-hmm." I stretch and yawn. "What time is it?"

"Time to go back to sleep," Harry grumbles from beside Hermione. "G'night."

Hermione looks up. She's got several books propped open and is taking in an old journal. "It's a quarter 'til eight."

"Exactly!" Harry moans. "Time to sleep."

"Time for _breakfast!"_ We all look up. A Hermes camper - Julia? Alice? - is bouncing in the doorway. _She has too much energy for this early in the morning._ "Pancakes! On the porch! The line starts on the left! Let's go!"

She disappears out the door. A few early risers hop up and follow her, although the majority of the room is much slower in getting up. A few campers just roll over and go back to sleep.

Carefully marking his place in his book, Neville turns to shake Luna awake. On my other side, Hermione reaches around Harry to wake Ron.

"Wake _up,_ Ron! Up! Ugh. Come _on!_ Time for breakfast. _Ronald! Wake! Up!_ Oh, Merlin. _Pancakes, Ron! Pancakes!"_

This last comment is the only one that elicits a response from Ron, who's lying facedown on his pillow.

"Pancakes?"

"Yes, Ron! Pancakes!" Hermione rolls her eyes and turns back to her notebook. "You guys can go ahead. I want to keep working on this."

Ron simply rolls back over. Harry turns to me.

"So, Sophy," he starts. "Would you mind bringing us back a few plates?"

"I will." I push myself up with a sigh.

"We'll come with," Luna volunteers, tucking her hair behind her ears.

"Alright." I stand up, gently stretching my sore leg. "Let's go. Here, Liliya."

We join the line of campers waiting for breakfast. Liliya wanders up the line; a few campers toss her sausages.

"Here." I grab a few plates and pass them back to my friends. "Did you both sleep well?"

"Fairly." Neville reaches for a few forks. "You did, too. Right, Luna?"

"Mmm-hmm." Luna nods and reaches for the sausage tongs. "Do you think Ron wants sausages?"

"Ron will eat anything," I say seriously. "Go ahead."

She laughs and drops a few sausages onto her second plate.

"This maple syrup is _good,"_ Neville says, licking a few drops off of his fingers.

"It's probably homemade." I pour some of the syrup over my pancakes. "C'mon. Let's eat outside."

We set out plates down on the porch around the corner from the tables. After a minute, Luna reappears with Harry and Ron. Hermione comes wandering outside a moment later, reading materials stacked in her arms.

"Nice day out," Harry comments, taking a plate. "Is that the ocean?" He points at the beach with his fork.

"I think that's Long Island Sound," I swallow a mouthful of sausage.

Hermione, sitting with her back to the railing, gives a strangled gasp through her pancakes. "Oh! Hmm."

We all look up. Hermione's got that excited look on her face, the one she gets when she's really close to figuring something out.

"Did you find something?" I ask, stabbing a pancake.

She frowns, flipping back through the pages. "I don't know. It's like trying to play Connect the Dots, except you don't know which dots are the right ones."

Harry and I share a mildly horrified look. The others just look mildly bewildered.

"Well, what is it?" Luna asks, reaching for her cup of juice.

"Okay." Hermione reaches for one of her books. "So. This is a book about Egyptian Mythology. I was just skimming through, but I found this section." She flips it open to a marked page. "It's about Ra, the sun god. According to this," she taps the book, "Ra had different, um, _manifestations_ in the morning and the evening. Khepri and Khnum, respectively. Khepri and Khnum were different gods, but they were both different manifestations of Ra."

Harry looks mildly impressed. "Blimey."

"D'you think this Watchman might be a manifestation of Kronos?" Neville suggests, waving his fork.

"But Kronos isn't a god," I point out. "And, as I've heard, the Greek gods don't have different _manifestations."_

Hermione sighs. "I know."

"It was a good idea," Ron says, almost defensively.

"It was." I sigh. "You're right. We just don't know which dots to follow." I reach for my empty cup and plate. "I'm going to take my stuff to to the kitchen."

"You've already finished?" Neville asks, setting down his fork.

"I eat fast," I apologize. "I'll be right back."

* * *

The kitchen is fairly empty. A cleaning harpy flaps past me as I duck through the door, adding my things to a stack of dirty dishes. I decide not to ask what's coming out of the taps.

"Hey, Sophy."

I jump and turn. Stepping around a refrigerator, I find a group of demigods clustered around a sink filled with what looks much more like water.

"C'mere." Annabeth beckons me over. "We're trying to get in touch with Jason and Thalia."

"Through the plumbing?" I stare at the sink.

"Through an Iris-message." Piper reaches for the pullout sprayer. "Frank, you still have a drachma?"

"Of course." The Asian boy next to the paper towels holds up a gold coin.

"Okay. Here it goes." Piper turns on the faucet and squeezes the sprayer, soaking the wall. She aims it higher, until, with the light from the window, she makes a faint rainbow.

"Here." Frank passes her the coin, which Piper throws into the rainbow. I expect it to pass through and hit the wall, but it just _disappears._

"O, goddess, accept our offering," Piper says. "Show us Jason and Thalia Grace."

I turn to Annabeth to ask her what's going on, but she holds up a finger, watching the rainbow. I turn to it, too.

At first, it just shimmers faintly, but then it starts to fade. After a few moments, the rainbow has been replaced by an image of a forest: tall trees, dark undergrowth. At first, it looks like no one's there, but then I notice a figure disappearing between a few trees.

"Thalia!" Annabeth calls, leaning toward the rainbow. " _Thalia!"_

The figure stops and turns, obviously searching for the source of the noise.

" _Thalia!"_ Annabeth waves her arms.

The figure breaks into a jog, winding through the undergrowth to reach us.

"Annabeth!" Thalia pushes her hair out of her face, looking immensely relieved. "Oh, thank the gods." She turns, cupping her hands around her mouth. "JASON!"

After a moment, a second figure appears from behind a tree, sword drawn.

"Thalia? What is it?"

She waves him over. "C'mere." She turns back to us. "Thank the gods! What's going on? We woke up and -"

"It's the Watchman." Annabeth scoots over so I can see the rainbow properly. "He took you in the middle of the night."

"You wear Superman boxers?" Frank interrupts from behind Piper.

"What?"

Frank points at Jason with a grin. "You're wearing Superman boxers."

It takes me a moment before I realize why that's so funny. _I guess he is sort of like a blond Superman._ Luckily for Thalia, her pajamas are just a simple tank top and pair of shorts.

"That's not important right now," Annabeth cuts him off, turning back to the rainbow. "Do you two have any idea where you could be? Have you seen any animals or-"

"Actually, yeah." Jason points over Thalia's head. "We're in the same place as last time. Those ruins are right over there."

"You're at Hogwarts?! That's - that's great!"

"Great? We're in _Scotland,_ Sophy."

I sigh. "Yes, I know that. But still. Hogwarts for me is like camp for you. So." I purse my lips, trying to think. "Which way is the castle?"

"That way." Jason points back to his left.

"Right." I nod. "Okay. If you walk back that way for a few minutes, you should come to a small … ah … cottage. That's where Hagrid lives. He's the gamekeeper. He'll help you. Just tell him that … erm … it's an emergency. A huge emergency, and you're my friends and need his help."

"And he'll just let us in?" Thalia looks a bit skeptical.

I stare at the sink, biting my lip. After a minute, I turn back to her. "You'll have to tell him everything."

"Everything?"  
"Everything. The Greek gods exist. Zeus is our dad. We're fighting an Ancient-Greek-evil-time-lord. We would be eternally grateful if he'd help you out."

Annabeth and Piper exchange a look. Thalia stares at me.

"You want us to walk into a stranger's house and tell him that the Greek gods exist. Just like that?! Sophy, that's crazy! That's-"

"Actually a decent idea," Frank interrupts. "Sophy knows her friend. I trust her judgement." He offers me a quick smile.

I stare at him, surprised. _You barely know me, but you still trust me?_

"Alright," Jason says slowly. "So we walk …"

"Back that way for a few minutes," I repeat, gesturing behind him. "There'll be a small clearing by the time the castle is directly to your right. That's where Hagrid's cottage is. If you reach the stables, you've gone too far."

"And you're sure?" Thalia looks a bit apprehensive.

"I'm certain," I say firmly.

"We'll Iris-message you in … how long would you say?"

"In two hours?" Thalia suggests. "It's not too long, in case something happens, but we still have time to explain what's going on."

"Okay." Annabeth takes a deep breath. "Good luck. Stay safe."

"You, too." Thalia gives us one last wave, and then slashes her hand through the rainbow. Her image disappears. We're left staring at the soaked wall.

* * *

"Your camp is beautiful."

Annabeth and I are walking back around the porch. I gaze out over the strawberry fields.

"Thanks. It's your camp, too, remember."

"I know." We step back against the railing as Chiron passes, a few satyrs in tow.

"Is Mr. D here?" I ask as Chiron disappears around the corner.

"Maybe." Annabeth beckons to me; we continue walking. "He might've gone to Olympus, in the light of current things. Part of his consciousness is probably there regardless. Part of his consciousness is probably at a party or two somewhere. But for the most part, he's probably here."

I stop. "What do you mean?"

"By what?"

"Part of his … what, exactly?"

" _Oh._ Right. Let's see." She beckons to me; we keep walking. "Simply put, gods aren't confined to being completely in one place at once. Mr. D's general consciousness - the majority of his being, I guess - is probably here. He's also the god of festivities, so a tiny bit of his consciousness is probably at a party. Or in Vegas."

I hurry to catch up. "But … let's say Mr. D causes a few people to go insane. Could he just completely be on Olympus, or-"

"A tiny bit of his consciousness will be there, even if it's just a smidge."

I follow her, mind racing.

"Why?"  
"It - it just seems important, you know?" We round another corner and I spot my group of friends. "Like it should fit in somewhere. I just …" I sigh, frowning at the hills above us. "It's like there's some huge puzzle piece missing, and without it, we can't solve _anything."_

"What can't you solve?" Neville calls, waving me over.

I wave my hands in the air. "Everything."

"That's relatable." Neville and Luna scoot over to make room for me.

"What did I miss?" I stretch my injured leg out in front of me.

"Nothing much." Ron leans back against the railing. "What took you so long?"

"We used a rainbow to talk to Thalia and Jason."

"You did _what?"_

I sigh, leaning back against the wall. "Apparently if you pay a rainbow, you can use it as a live messaging thingy. Jason and Thalia are in the Forbidden Forest. I told them to tell Hagrid what's going on."

Hermione and Ron exchange a worried look.

"The forest _again?"_ Harry says, dragging his fingers through his hair. "This can't be just a coincidence."

I open my mouth to respond, but before I do, my vision dissolves.

* * *

" _This can't be just a coincidence." Inna tucks one leg under her. "Why would they come here?"_

" _And why would they be here only for_ you?" _Feliks points out. "There are children at the Matron's. Why have they been asking for only you?"_

 _I hunch up my shoulders. The words of the blond woman ring in my ears: I'm a witch, so was my mother, I cannot tell_ anyone. _And yes, I may bring my dog._

" _I don't know. I think they knew my mama."_

 _Feliks and Esfir exchange a glance. Inna clears her throat._

" _Are you going with them?"_

 _A lump builds up in my throat. One one hand, I want to see Britain. I want to go to school. I want to learn more about this_ magic. _But this has been my home since … since forever. My friends are everything I have: they took me in when I ran away from the Matron, they fed me and taught me how to survive. I don't want to leave them._

" _I - I don't know."_

" _You should go."_

 _We all turn to Alik. He leans forward on his elbows. "You are being granted a chance at something_ more, _Sophya. Please. Don't give it up for us."_

" _Did you tell them no?" Esfir asks, eyes wide._

" _I told them I have to think about it."_

" _Alik's right." Inna whispers. "You should go."_

 _I take a deep breath. "O-okay."_

 _Esfir takes a deep breath; I can see tears in her eyes. "We'll miss you, Sophya."_

 _I lean forward, wrapping her in a hug. "I'll miss you, too."_

" _Sophy," Feliks says in my ear._

" _I'll remember you forever," I say, turning to him. His eyes are wide with concern._

" _Sophy!"_

 _It takes me a moment before I realize what's wrong._

 _Feliks doesn't call me Sophy. None of my friends do._

" _Sophy!"_

* * *

My vision clears in an instant. Instead of Feliks's warm brown eyes, I'm staring at Neville's blue ones.

"Are you okay?"  
I push myself up. "I'm - I'm fine. I just had a flashback."

"A flashback?" Hermione's eyes are full of concern. "You haven't had one in ages."

I shake my head slowly. "I - I had two last night."

" _Two?!"_ Harry's eyes are wide. "That's - that's -"

"Not good," Ron finishes.

"Yeah." I sigh. "But Harry, as you were saying, it isn't a coincidence that this all is happening."

"We just don't know _why,"_ Hermione finishes.

"In a nutshell." I push my hair out of my face. "What were you talking about while I was gone?"

"Oh, just about the box of things my mum left," Luna says conversationally. "There was a tiny little wooden box. It's beautiful. I think it's hand-carved. See?"

She tugs a box out of her pocket and passes it to me. She was right. It's no bigger than my fist. I turn down to look at it; recognition strikes me with an iron fist. In a daze, I trace a finger over the delicate designs. Hand shaking, I flip it over.

The initials are there.

* * *

 _Heart pounding, I drop to the floor._ Hide. _On my elbows, I crawl under Mama's bed, squeezing back toward the wall. I tuck my knees to my chest, staring up at the wooden slats of the bed frame. With one shaking finger, I trace the bottom of Mama's treasure box. It's hidden under here, too. The box is big - not as big as Mama's pillow, about the size of mine. The top of the box is carved like vines and flowers. The bottom is plain, apart from where Mama carved her initials in the corner. I trace the gentle letters. This is where Mama keeps all the … all the little pieces of her heart._

 _The door creaks. I close my eyes._

* * *

The box clatters to the floor. My eyes fly open.

"Sophy?" Luna touches my arm. "Are you okay?"

I take a deep breath, reaching for the box. "They're getting worse."

"Another one?" Neville adjusts my ring, eyes full of concern.

"That - that's just like my mum's box." I hand it back to Luna. "She kept her …"

"Sophy?" Hermione leans forward. "What's wrong."

"The box," I whisper, staring at the water in the distance.

"What about it?"

Ron and Harry exchange a look.

"She - that's where - the letters." I fiddle with the hair-tie around my wrist. "She kept her most prized possessions in that box. Photographs. Jewelry. And letters. She had a stack of them, tied with a ribbon. What if - what if those are your mum's letters, Luna?"

"But weren't there any letters in the box you got, Luna?" Hermione points out.

"None." Luna shakes her head. "If there are any letters left," she smiles at me, "that's where they'd be."

"We need to find them!" I jump to my feet.

"Find them - we - we can't just _go_ to Russia!" Hermione cries.

"Why not?" I turn back to her. "She hid the box. I know where to find it. This -" I wave my hands - "it feels _right._ I can tell. We need to find the box!"

"What box?"

We turn around. Rachel is standing behind us with bedhead and a cup of coffee.

"What's going on?"

"My mum kept a stack of letters in a box she hid in Russia. If - if those letters are the ones Luna's mum sent, the ones about the Watchman - we need to find them. _We need to go to Russia."_

She stares at me, deep in thought. After a count of three, she nods. "Come with me."


	11. Chapter Ten

Disclaimer: All characters, settings, and other story components taken from the Harry Potter, Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Heroes of Olympus, or Trials of Apollo series belong to J.K. Rowling and Rick Riordan, respectively. I do not own any of the aforementioned. I do not intend to use this story commercially.

A/N: Hello! I apologize for the late chapter (I have been very busy this past week!). I still can't give a definite timeline, although I'm fairly sure that I'll have the next chapter up by next week. (Hopefully). This chapter contains minor details from the Lost Hero, and I did take a few things from the Demigod Diaries (but you don't need to have read it to read this). Please read and review!

* * *

Chiron and Mr. D exchange a heavy look. Apart from the sound of chatter from downstairs, the room is completely silent.

Mr. D breaks the silence with a loud _humph._ "Absolutely not, Sarah Anderson. It's out of the question."

With a sigh, Chiron elaborates, "Even without taking, ah, current events into consideration, it is still extremely rare for demigods to travel overseas." I open my mouth to protest, but he raises a hand. "You must understand, Sophy, that the ancient lands are tremendously dangero-"

"But I don't _want_ to go to the ancient lands!" I interrupt. "I _told_ you, I want to go to _Russia_. This could be the only lead we have on figuring out the Watchman." I turn to Mr. D. "Do you have a better idea? Do you know somewhere _else_ where we can find information?"

Mr. D sets down his magazine, leaning forward. Something flickers in his eyes. "I said _no,_ Sadie Abbott."

"But-"

"No!" He slams a hand down on the table. "You are _not_ going to Russia!"

 _CRACK!_

I jump. Chiron turns sharply to look at the window.

 _BOOM._

A splattering of rain hits the glass. Rachel gets up to look outside. Mr. D mutters something under his breath and reaches for his magazine.

"Is it _raining?"_ I ask blankly, staring at the window.

"It would appear so," Chiron says dryly. He rolls over to join Rachel. I reach to push aside the curtains.

"But … but it was sunny just a few minutes a …" I stare at the sky. "Ago."

Huge, dark clouds are forming above us at an unnatural speed. It's already beginning to downpour; the sky is turning dark.

"What in the name of Merlin?" I breathe, letting the curtain drop behind me. Rachel gives me a nudge.

"I think your dad is on your side."

"What? I - _oh."_

I turn around, batting the curtain aside. Mr. D has his nose buried in his magazine. When he flips a page, I get a glimpse of what looks like pictures of wine.

"So, Mr. D," I begin.

"No, Samantha Andrews."

 _CRACK._

Outside, there's a bright flash of lightning.

"No!" He yells, this time at the storm. "It is _absolutely out of-"_

 _BOOM!_

" _The question!"_

 _BOOM!_

Chiron sighs. "Mr. D …"

"Fine!" He slams his magazine down on the table. "Fine!"

The rain begins to ebb. Almost miraculously, the clouds begin to dissipate.

I smile.

* * *

"I can't believe it." Rachel shuts the door behind us. "You _actually_ \- I can't believe it!"

I shrug as we start down the stairs. "It wasn't as much _me_ as it was my father."

"Still." We pass the second-floor landing.

"What are you going to do now?" She turns and beckons me down a hallway. I follow her.

"I guess I've got to get ready. I only have a little over an hour before we leave."

"Yeah." She starts down another hallway. "Speaking of which, who are you taking with you?"

I jog a bit to catch up. "Do you want to come?"

She blinks. "Oh, no! I'm just wondering."

"That's fine." I bite my lip. "I'm not sure yet."

We've reached the end of the hallway. She pulls open a door; we step out onto the porch.

"Three is a standard number for quests," she advises. "So, you get two companions."

"But this isn't a-"  
"Still." She tucks a strand of hair behind her ear. "Three's the standard."

"Sophy?" Someone calls.

Rachel nods at the corner ahead of us. "There's your friends." She gives me an encouraging look. "Go ahead. I'll see you later."

I hurry around the corner and almost trip over Ron. The rest of my schoolmates are likewise seated against the wall. Annabeth and Piper are perched on the railing.

Piper hops down off of the railing. "Sophy, what's going on? Where-"

"I'm going to Russia," I say without preamble. "I can take two people with me. Hermes will be here in an hour. I'm-"

I'm interrupted by several of my friends at once. Piper and Hermione both say " _What?!"_ loudly. Harry nearly chokes on his orange juice. Ron says " _Blimey,"_ as if he's never done anything as surprising. Annabeth starts on a barrage of questions.

"You're - you're going to _Russia?_ But _why?_ And did you say _Hermes?_ Does this-"

"Guys. Guys!" I hold up my hands for silence. "I'm going to Russia to find the letters about the Watchman. I will take two people with me. Mr. D pulled favors; Hermes is going to help. I have an hour to get ready."

Everyone stares at me, utterly surprised. Ron is looking slightly confused. Annabeth and Piper share an unreadable look.

"I need to get some things from Cabin 1," I say slowly. "Who wants to come with me?"

"I'll come," Luna volunteers, hopping to her feet. Neville and Hermione get up, too.

"I'll go, too." Annabeth gets to her feet. "We should be quick," she warns.

"I know." I bite my lip. "If we're not back in, oh, twenty minutes? Twenty minutes, then … well, I don't know. But expect us back in twenty minutes."

"Okay," Harry says, although he says it like a question.

I nod. "Then let's go."

* * *

"Are you sure about the letters?" Annabeth asks as we hurry past the empty cabins. Liliya lopes ahead of us to sniff around the basketball camp.

"Well, I never read them," I say, reaching into my pocket for a hair-tie. "But they were _really_ important to her." I quickly knot my hair back. "Either way, it'll be worth it." I take a deep breath, trying not to laugh from excitement.

"Of course!" Hermione says, sounding just as excited as I am. She pulls open the door to Cabin 1.

"Here we are." I reach for my messenger bag, checking that everything's still there. Luna hands me a change of clothes. Hermione has moved to look at the statue of Zeus; Annabeth is going through a list of other things I'll need.

"We can stop at the armory on the way back," she says as I buckle the bag shut. "And we can get some ambrosia from the infirmary." She frowns as I sling the bag over my shoulder. "Is that everything else?"

Hermione pulls the door open for us. "What if something … you know. Goes wrong?"

Annabeth nods quickly. "That's it. Let's see. If I give you a few _drachmas,_ d'you think you could find a way to make a decent rainbow?"

Hermione blinks, utterly bewildered. "A _rainbow?"_

"Sure," I say, following her out of the cabin.

"And that just leaves your companions," Annabeth finishes, shutting the door behind us.

I bite my lip. "Well, I think it's only fair to bring you, Luna. You know."

Luna looks pleased. "Ooh, I'd love to come."

"And then," I continue slowly, "that leaves a third person." Annabeth points us toward the armory; we start across the lawn. "I'm not certain but, well, I was thinking-" I stop. "Nico."

"Nico?" Annabeth says, looking back at me. "You'll have to ask hi-"

"That's not what I meant," I say distractedly. "Well, I mean, yes, it was, but that's not …" I gesture vaguely. "Nico."

Hermione stares at me in utter confusion. "Sophy, what _are_ you talking ab-"

"Nico?!" Annabeth exclaims, looking to where I'm point. "What's he doing?"

We all turn. Nico is walking out of his cabin, closing the door behind him.

"Oi!" I call, waving an arm. He looks up; I wave again. "Over here!"

"He isn't supposed to leave the Big House!" Annabeth mutters under her breath as we jog over to meet him.

"Hey," Hermione says, her tone friendly. "You're Nico, right? I'm Hermione."

"I know." Nico gives her a nod. "Nice to meet you."

"I thought we told everyone to stay in the Big House," Annabeth says without preamble.

He hunches his shoulders slightly. "I wanted to go to my cabin. Besides," he says, following us as we start toward the armory, "if I did get _transported,_ I would be able to get back."

"Eventually," Annabeth murmurs under her breath, but she drops the subject.

"Speaking of which, what are you four doing?"

Annabeth leads us around the side of Cabin 6. "Sophy's going to Russia for the letters," she explains, reaching for the handle of a metal shed. "She needs a weapon." Annabeth reaches for the hilt of a sword and holds it out to me.

I wrinkle my nose. "That's huge."

"You're going to Russia? Er, congratulations, I suppose."

Annabeth returns the sword. Nico joins her in looking through the weapons. I send him a curious glance. _He's much shyer today than he was last night._

"I don't suppose you'd want a pistol." Nico says over his shoulder.

"I might," I say thoughtfully. "Could I see it?"

With a doubtful look, Nico passes me a dark pistol. I weigh it in my hand.

"Do you know how to shoot?" Annabeth asks me.

"Vaguely." I examine it. "I can shoot a bow."

"That's _not_ the same thing."

"I know." I look up at them. "I like it."

"If you're sure," Annabeth says, replacing the sword she was holding.

"I am."

"You'll need ammunition," Nico says, turning back to the shed.

"Get her the gold bullets." Annabeth reaches for something. "In case she needs to shoot something mortal."

"Thanks," I say. Hermione eyes the gun in my hand cautiously.

"If I were you, I'd take a dagger, too," Annabeth advises, turning to me with a sheathed dagger in hand. "Try this one."

I unsheathe it. The dagger is made of some sort of odd bronze. Like the gun, it _feels_ right to me.

"What is it?"

"Celestial bronze," Nico says."It's harmless to mortals."

I fasten the dagger and the pistol to my belt. Nico hands me a case of ammunition, which I drop into my bag.

"What about you?" Annabeth asks Luna.

"I have my wand." Luna eyes the swords in the shed cautiously.

"Suit yourself." Annabeth swings the armory door closed.

"You're going to Russia?" Nico asks me, letting Liliya sniff his fingers. We turn to start back toward the Big House. "Who are you taking with you?"

"Luna," I say, nodding ahead of us to where Luna is walking with Hermione.

"And?"

I bite my lip. "Well, I was hoping you'd come, too."

He blinks at me, startled. "Me?"  
"Yeah."

"You want me to come with you?"

"Well, yes."

"Why?"

I turn to look at him, confused. "Why? I don't know. I - I want you to come. I …" I pause. "I trust you."

He's silent for a moment. His hair flops into his face, hiding his eyes.

"If you don't want to come, that's fi-"

"No, no. I'll come." He brushes his hair out of his eyes.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah." He gives me a small smile.

"Great!" I grin back.

"Are you guys coming, or not?" Annabeth calls from ahead of us. "Hurry up!"

Nico rolls his eyes slightly. "We're coming!"

"Are you coming with us?" Luna asks Nico as we catch up to them. He nods; I see a flicker of disappointment in Hermione's eyes.

"Sorry, 'Mione."

"It's okay." She gives me a smile. "I'd better stay anyway, to make sure the boys don't get into trouble."

"We'll go back again someday," I promise. "All of us."

She smiles, but I see in her eyes that she doesn't quite believe me. "I'll look forward to it."

* * *

"Good luck." Piper gives me a quick hug.

"Thanks."

We're standing out back of the Big House. A small crowd of demigods have gathered on the porch above us. Beside me, Luna is saying goodbye to Neville, and Nico is talking with Will.

"You stay safe, too." Neville says to me. I turn with a smile.

"I will."

"Good luck," Annabeth calls from the porch. Percy's arm is slung over her shoulders.

"Thank you!" Luna calls, giving her a wave.

"And remember, if _anything_ goes wrong, I-M either me or - Lord Hermes!"

I stare at her. "I-M Lord Hermes?"

"No, I mean -" she waves a hand. "Behind you."

I turn around and almost yelp. Standing behind me is a middle-aged man dressed in a mailman's uniform. In his hand is a staff - his caduceus.

"Oh!" I blush slightly. "Hi, Lord Hermes."

He gives me a nod. "Hello, Sophya. Nico. And …"

"Luna."

"And Luna." He turns back to me. "Dionysus has told me I am to transport you and your friends to and from your childhood home in Russia. Does that sound correct?"

"Yes. Thank you, Lord Hermes."

"Just Hermes, please." He holds something out to me. I take it; it's a small chunk of what appears to be crystal. "This," he says, "is adamantine crystal. Break this stone, and I will know to bring you."

"Thank you." I take the crystal.

"Let's see." He takes a step back. "Just you three?"

"Yes. Us and Liliya." Liliya, on leash once more, is sitting by my feet.

 _Bring us back a rat._

"Aah!" I almost drop the crystal. "Your - your snakes talk!"

 _No need to be rude about it._

"Ah, yes." Hermes raises his staff. "Say hello, George and Martha."

 _Hello, George and Martha._

 _Don't be sarcastic, George._

I stare at the snakes. "Hello, George and Martha."

"I assume you are all ready?"

"We are," Nico says from my left. "Thank you, Lord Hermes."

"You are welcome." Hermes raises his staff.

My view of the hills starts to fade, as if a fog has descended over camp. Through the foggy whiteness, I can see a new image, of dark trees and a flowing river.

 _Good luck, Sophy Alkaev._


	12. Chapter Eleven

Disclaimer: All characters, settings, or other story components taken from the Harry Potter, Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Heroes of Olympus, or Trials of Apollo series belong to J.K Rowling and Rick Riordan, respectively. I do not own any of the aforementioned. I do not intend to use this story commercially.

* * *

In this one moment, everything around us is still, as if the world is holding its breath. _Is something wrong?_ Everything is a strange, foggy white. _What's happening?_

I take a nervous breath of the still air.

It smells like cedar and earth and _home._

Liliya starts to bark.

I open my eyes.

Green firs and cedars soar up above me to touch a shining blue sky. Something rustles in the leaves behind me, and a bird suddenly starts to sing. A wave of memories of this forest - of _my_ forest! - flicker in the back of my mind. _I've missed all this so much._ A lump rises in my throat and I bite back the urge to cry. _I'm home. Merlin, I'm home!_

"We made it," I say, starting to smile. "We made it!"

I start to dance, twirling and hopping through the leaves. Nico and Luna are blinking and turning to stare at the forest. I start to laugh. "We made it!"

Liliya barks again. I stop dancing and turn around just in time to see her disappear through the underbrush.

"Liliya!" I call. " _Liliya!"_

"Where's she going?" Luna asks, coming up beside me.

"I don't know." I adjust the strap of my bag. "Come on!"

We follow her through the forest. Once, we have to stop and retrace our steps. After a while, Luna pulls out her wand and starts charming the more difficult brambles of thorns and bushes out of our way. Finally, I catch a glimpse of Liliya through the trees.

"This way!"

"Oh!" Nico exclaims as we push past the last tangle of shrubs.

"Wow," Luna whispers.

We've come to a little outcropping at the edge of the forest. Just below us, towering river bluffs stretch far, far down to where a dark river is winding through the forest. Up and down the river, trees stretch as far as the eye can see.

Liliya barks again. She looks rather pleased with herself.

"Hey, girl," I say, kneeling down to scratch behind her ears.

"I wish I had a camera," Luna says from behind me. "This is view incredible."

"Isn't it? Mama used to come here all the time. She loved this view."

"I can see why."

"You know where we are?" Nico leans back against a tree.

I nod, straightening up. "We're upriver of the town." I point to our right. "Our cottage is …" I turn a bit, pointing back through the forest. "That way. Follow me."

* * *

"This way!" I call, beckoning my friends over. I point past a tall fir tree. "I know where we are now."

"Are you sure?" Nico asks me, following Liliya and me down the slope.

"I think so." My foot hits a slippery leaf and I almost lose my balance.

"You okay?" Luna grabs my elbow.

I nod. "Thanks."

We continue through the forest. Liliya lopes ahead of us, occasionally stopping to sniff trees or brambles. Luna sings softly to herself as we go. Finally, I stop next to a towering cedar.

"It's here."

We step out into a little clearing. In the center, next to a young oak tree, sits the cottage.

My breath catches. It looks so similar to how I remember it, and yet so different. The wood has faded to grey; the roof sags slightly. Several of the windows are broken. Liliya disappears around the side of the house.

"This is it?" Nico murmurs from behind me. I nod.

"Should we go in?" Luna asks, stepping up to the front door.

I draw my wand. "I guess."

The door creaks open with a flick of my wand. Behind me, Nico draws his sword. _Here it goes._ Raising my wand, I start through the doorway.

Inside, a thick veil of dust hangs in the air. One of the windows is broken; glass is scattered with the debris on the floor.

"Merlin," Luna murmurs, peering over my shoulder.

A lump rises in my throat as I survey the room. The wood stove has rusted; the table and chairs are rotting. Everything is covered in dust.

"This way," I say faintly, stepping inside. Nico and Luna follow me, picking their way through the debris. Memories flooding my mind, I pick my way through the room.

The bedroom is in even worse condition. The door has somehow come off of its hinges and is lying, rotted, on the floor. Part of the roof has come down; I can see the sky through the jagged hole.

"I'm so sorry, Sophy," Luna says from the other room.

"It's not your fault." I slump back against the wall.

"Is the box in here?" Nico asks me gently, leaning on the doorframe.

"It should be under the bed," I say, crouching down. The bed, like the rest of the cottage, has seen better times. The frame is starting to rot, and the mattress looks like it's been gnawed on by something.

"Are you sure that's a good-" Nico starts, but I'm already wriggling under the bed. I try to hold my breath as dust starts to billow up around me. I'm just barely small enough to fit underneath.

 _It should be under here._ I squint, scanning the underside of the bed. _Here!_ Awkwardly shifting around, I reach up, carefully wiggling it out of its hiding place.

"I've got it!" I call, coughing. Twisting around, I set the box down and push it out from under the bed. Twisting again, I awkwardly follow.

"Are you okay?" Nico crouches down beside me as I push my hair out of my face, coughing.

"I'm fine," I say, waving a hand. "I'm fine."

"Here," Luna says, holding the box out to me. I take it, tracing a finger over the designs.

"It's beautiful," Nico says, shifting to sit down properly.

"Thank you. It - it was a gift from my father." I set it down gingerly.

 _Moment of truth._ I take a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves. "Here we go," I say, and slide off the lid.

Inside of the box are Mama's treasures, just as I last saw them. With trembling fingers, I reach in, setting each aside. _Mama's locket in its small box. All of our papers. Her Polaroid camera. A small stack of photographs._

"Could we look at these?" Nico asks as I pick up the photographs.

"Sure." I carefully untie the ribbon around them and hand Nico and Luna a few pictures each.

"Look at this!" Luna says, handing me a photograph. It's a picture, slightly blurry, of a little girl with dark pigtails and hazel eyes.

"Oh my stars," I whisper, taking the photograph from her. The picture is old and fading; I must've been three or four. Nico leans over.

"Take a look at this one."

I take it and gasp. My mother beams out of the photo at me. A tiny baby is nestled in her arms, fast asleep. One of her arms is reaching up out of the frame; she must have taken the photo herself.

"That's my mum," I whisper. I don't know whether to laugh or cry. I haven't seen a real picture of her in almost a decade.

Nico flips through a couple more photos, then stops. "Sophy?" Something in his tone makes me look up. "You should see this."

He holds the photo out to me; I take it with a frown. The photo is blurry. It takes me a moment before it clicks.

"What is it?" Luna asks, leaning over my shoulder.

I hold it out so she can see. It's a slightly crooked picture of the river bluffs. Crooked letters stretch over the hillside, as if written with a giant hand.

"That's Cyrillic on top, right?" Luna runs a finger over the writing.

"What does it say?"

I clear my throat. "It says: _Beware, Father. Your sleep has ended. Your days are over."_

"Merlin," she whispers.

"'Beware Father; your sleep has ended,'" Nico quotes. "This can't be a coincidence."

"Your sleep has ended," I repeat under my breath. "Your days are - that's _it!"_

"That's what?"

"His revenge." I stare at the photograph. "The Watchman's revenge on Father Time. For abandoning him. _Father Time will slumber until the end of the world._ The end of the world - that's what the Watchman wants!"

"' _And he shall slumber until the end of all days, when the sun shall cease to rise and chaos will swallow all that is known.'"_

We both turn to Luna. She shrugs. "That's what Mum used to say."

Nico's eyes are fixed on my trainer, but his thoughts are clearly somewhere else.

"Until chaos shall swallow all that is known," he murmurs. "Until chaos shall…"

"Nico?" I ask gently. "Are you okay?"

He looks up at me, and for a moment, something in his eyes seems almost _broken._

He takes a deep breath. "Sophy, I've seen Chaos. In Tartarus. It's -" he shudders. "Can you imagine total _nothingness?_ It - it's indescribable. If the world were to be plunged into Chaos, that - that would be it. The end of everything. _Everything."_

"That's what he wants," Luna says softly. "To use Chaos to truly get his revenge. To utterly destroy Kronos for good."

I swallow. "And it's up to us to stop him."

The three of us are silent for a moment. My thoughts are racing. _It's up to us to stop the end of the world._

"Maybe there's something in the letters," Luna suggests, reaching into the box. She carefully pulls out a stack of letters, tied with a baby blue ribbon.

"Yeah." I shift to look over her shoulder as she flips through the letters. There's a couple letters from when she was young, love letters from Zeus, a sheet of random words and phrases from when I was learning to write. Finally, she holds out a letter. The bottom is signed _Pandora._

"What does it say?" I ask, carefully restacking the rest of the letters.

Luna quickly scans the letter. "This looks like it was the first letter she sent. Here. Help me look."

Nico and I each take a couple of letters. I charm both of mine into Russian before starting.

"What've you got?" Luna finally asks, setting down her last letter.

"Nothing about the Watchman." I quickly scan the last few paragraphs of the one I'm holding. "You?"

"Nothing."

"Neither have - oh, hold on." Nico hold up a finger. "Here's something." We turn to him. "According to Pandora, a camper went missing. No sign as to where she went. Just … gone. Pandora makes a reference to something your mother must have said, Sophy, because she says that the girl went missing _just like your friend Nina."_

I freeze and slowly look up at him. "Merlin. You don't think…"

"It was the Watchman?" Nico sets down the letter.

"It must have been." Luna carefully stacks up her letters. "It's the third point of your triangle, Sophy."

"The third point of my triangle." I slump back against the bed. "Stars."

"We should I-M camp." Nico starts to carefully put the letters and photographs back in the box. "You have the drachmas, right?"

"In my bag." I pull out the little bag of gold coins. "What about the rainbow?"

"I've got it!" Luna hops up, drawing her wand. She flicks it, sending a spray of water across the room. Colors start to shimmer where the sun comes in through the hole in the ceiling.

I hand Nico a coin; he tosses it into the rainbow. "Oh Iris, goddess the rainbow, show us Annabeth at Camp Half-Blood." He and Luna sit down on the bed; I hop up to join them.

The rainbow flickers, dissolving into an image of one of the rooms in the Big House. Annabeth, Percy, Piper, Will, and a few other campers are gathered on the armchairs and sofas, obviously in deep conversation.

"Annabeth!" Nico says, waving a hand. She turns to us.

"Nico!" She hops up, coming over to us. The others turn to us, too. "What's wrong?"

"We found the box," he says without preamble. "And you should hear this."

We take turns telling the campers about what we've found. Annabeth gets steadily paler as we go on. When we finish, she shares a glance with Percy.

"Holy Hephaestus," Leo says from behind Piper. "This is crazy!"

"What do you think we should do?" Piper points out.

I sit, thoughts racing. _It feels like there are all these puzzle pieces and I have to figure out how they all fit together._ In one corner of my mind, I register that Nico is talking - asking me something - but I'm lost in my swirling thoughts, trying to piece everything together and sort everything out. _The Watchman is a manifestation of Kronos. Check. He has power over space and time. Check. He's awake, even though Kronos is …_

" _Asleep."_ It takes me a moment before I realize that I'm talking aloud. "He's supposed to be asleep. We need to make him go to sleep!"

"Sophy?" Nico looks a bit confused.

"That's it!" I look up at Annabeth. "We need to make the Watchman go … go back to sleep, like Kronos! That's it!"

"Not again," Piper mutters under her breath.

"Okay, but how?" Annabeth leans forward. "How are we going to do that? Gods, how are we even going to find him in the first place?"

"A net," I say suddenly.

"What?"

"A big net. He has to be there, remember? That's what you said. When the Watchman makes the switches, at least a little bit of him has to be there. So we make a net and trap him in it."

Percy looks skeptical. Annabeth and Piper exchange a look.

"Okay," Leo says slowly. "That actually makes sense." He holds up a finger. "The thing is, how do we know when and where he's going to make a switch? Do we just wait around until he decides to nab one of us?"

"No," I say. _Everything's clicking into place._ "We don't wait." I grin. "We set it up ourselves."

* * *

"That's everything," Nico says, sliding the lid back on the box. I take it, tucking it into my bag.

"You've got the adamantine?" Luna asks. She's sitting on her bed, using magic to repair the hole in the roof.

"Of course." I clip my bag shut. "Everyone ready to go?"

Nico opens his mouth to respond, but in that moment, a growling bark comes from outside. We stop, turning toward the front of the house.

"Liliya," I whisper.

Luna steps over to the window. "Someone's outside," she says, turning back to us.

I step into the front room. Through the open door, I can see Liliya, hackles raised.

Nico and Luna appear behind me. Nico's sword is drawn. He presses a finger to his lips. As quietly as I can, I slide my wand into my sleeve and draw my pistol, carefully releasing the safety.

I hear a faint voice from outside, saying something in Russian. I take a silent step forward; Liliya snarls. I hear the voice again.

"Liliya!"

I freeze. _They know Liliya's name._ Very few people know who Liliya is. What's more, I _know_ that voice.

I step forward. Nico takes my arm, making me turn. He shakes his head at me. I tug my arm out of his grasp, turning toward the door.

"Liliya!" I say, stepping outside. She growls again. "It's all right, Lils." Then, in Russian, "Inna! Come out from there!"

There's a moment of silence. Nico and Luna appear in the doorway behind me. Something rustles in a tree ahead of us, and someone drops from the branches to the ground. The figure straightens, staring at me.

"Sophya?"

Something catches in my throat. Swallowing hard, I nod.

"Sophya!"

I stumble forward. Inna closes the distance between us, pulling me into a hug.

"You came back!" she whispers in my ear. "Oh, my stars, you came back!"

I pull away. She's grown; I have to tilt my head up to look at her.

"Of course I came back! I promised you I would."

She smiles, about to say something, but her gaze catches on something over my shoulder and she stops.

"These are my friends," I say, stepping back. "Inna, these are Nico and Luna." Then, in English, "Please meet my friend Inna."

"Hi," Nico says with a nod.

"It's a pleasure to meet you!" Luna gives Inna a huge smile.

" _Privet,"_ Inna says shyly.

"And you remember Liliya," I say with a wry smile.

"Yes, but I don't think _she_ remembers _me."_

I crouch down. "C'mere, Lils." Liliya pads over. After a moment, she leans forward to lick Inna's fingers.

"How are the others?" I ask, straightening up.

Inna takes a quick breath. "Esfir is out hunting. She should be back soon. Feliks and Vikenti went down to the village to see if there was anything they could trade for." She catches my glance. "We can sometimes find someone willing to trade with us, Sophya. We have before."

Even as I ask it, I already know, deep down, the answer to my question. "And … Alik?"

She looks away.

"Oh." I press a hand to my mouth. " _Oh."_ The last words Alik spoke to me ring in my ears. _You are being granted a chance at something more. Don't give it up for us._

"I missed him," I whisper. "I'm too late."

"Sophy?" Luna looks up at me; she's crouched by Liliya's side. "Are you okay?"

I take a deep breath. "I have … _had_ a friend named Alik. He -" the words catch in my mouth.

"Oh, Sophy. I'm so sorry."

The door creaks; I turn. Nico steps out of the cottage, closing the door behind him. "We left one of the letters behind."

I take the letter, tucking it into my bag. "Thank you." I take a deep breath. "If you two don't mind, I'd - I'd like to see the rest of my friends. Before we leave. Is that okay?"

"Of course that's okay!" Luna straightens up. Nico nods in affirmation.

Inna touches me on the shoulder. "Sophya?" I turn. "The others would love to see you again-"

I smile. "You read my mind!"

* * *

Inna drops down from the fallen tree. "Here we are."

We climb down after her. In the clearing ahead of us, my friends have built a small shelter using layers of branches, pine boughs, and what looks like dried mud and leaves.

"It isn't much," Inna says, sitting down outside of the shelter.

"I think it's amazing," Nico says softly, joining her on the ground.

"I missed this all so much," I whisper, sitting down on Inna's other side.

"Inna!" someone calls from behind us. I gasp. _Esfir!_ "Today was good for hunting," Esfir continues, rounding the side of the shelter. "I-" she stops.

"Esfir!" I jump to my feet.

" _Sophya!"_ She drops her bag of game. I wrap her in a hug. "You're back! You're back!" She steps back, holding me at arm's length. "Oh, and you're all grown up!"

I laugh. "So are you!"

Liliya barks, tail wagging furiously. Esfir crouches down, letting Liliya lick her hands.

"Oh, and Liliya! She's so _big!_ "

Inna joins us, beaming. "They came back!" She nods to the bag of game. "You said today was a good day for hunting, yes?"

"Yes!" Esfir reaches for the bag. I step back, leaving them to their discussion and returning to sit with my friends.

"I like your friends," Luna remarks serenely.

I grin. "I'm glad. Hey. Listen. I think we should tell them."

Nico raises an eyebrow. "Tell them?"

"About everything." I wave my hands. "About why we're here. About the gods and why I left. They're my _friends._ I'd trust them with my life."

"Do you think they're part of … whatever's going on with the Watchman?" Nico leans forward.

I take a deep breath. "I don't know. But I think … I think this somehow concerns _me,_ personally. And … it's only fair to tell them what's happening."

"I agree." Luna nods. "You ought to tell them."

"It's your choice," Nico says. "If you want to tell them, then do."

"Sophya!" Inna says suddenly from behind us. "They're here!"

"They're here?!"

"Vikenti!" she calls, waving an arm. "Feliks! Come on!"

"Inna?" Two figures appear over the fallen log. The first I barely recognize; it's only when Vikenti looks up that I realize it's him. The second figure drops to the ground behind him.

"Vikenti! Feliks!" I jump to my feet.

"Sophya?" Vikenti sets down the bag he's carrying.

"She came back!" Esfir says, starting to laugh. "She came back!"

Feliks wraps me in a huge hug. "You're back! You actually came back!"

"I missed you so much," I say, stepping back to look up at him. He towers over me now.

"We missed you, too," Vikenti says from behind Feliks.

Feliks turns back to me. "Sophya - is everything okay? Why - why did you come back?"

I take a deep breath. "That's a long story," I tell them. "You'd better come sit down."

* * *

"Is that it?" I turn to Nico and Luna, who both nod. I turn back to the others. "And that's it."

Feliks and Esfir look absolutely stunned. Inna gives me a hesitant look. Vikenti lets out a huge breath.

"I believe you," he says, leaning forward. "I do. It's just …"

"My stars," Inna says softly. "It's … extraordinary."

"It is." I play with a strand of my hair. "Thank you for believing me."

"Naturally," Feliks says, leaning back. "It's just … so much to take in."

"I know. I'm sorry."

"Don't be." Esfir waves a hand. "But this - this whole plan you have for the - the Watchman," she takes a deep breath, "are we a part of it?"

I pause, suddenly unsure. I look to Nico and Luna.

"What did she say?" Nico asks softly.

"She wants to know if … if they're part of the plan," I say hesitantly.

He shakes his head. "They're your friends, Sophy. It's your decision."

I bite my lip, turning back to the others. "It - it's your choice. I don't want to tell you that you _have_ to fight with me-"

"Sophya." Vikenti leans forward. "We'll _always_ fight with you."

"Always," Feliks echoes. "What do you want us to do?"

I take a deep breath. _Stars, please let me be right._ "This time tomorrow, be on the outcropping over the river."

"That's it?" Esfir asks dubiously.

"Hopefully," I say slowly, "everything will work out." I look from them to Luna and back. "It's the three points of the triangle," I say softly. "Hogwarts. Camp. And here."

"But what if the third point _isn't_ the outcropping?" Inna asks worriedly. "Sophya, what if _we can't find you?_ "

I pause. _What if we_ can't _find each other?_ I bite my lip, trying to think.

Suddenly, I remember something Hermione had once said to me. It was the first few weeks of school, and I had managed to get hopelessly lost. I had finally just sat down on a bench outside of an unused classroom in the hopes that someone would eventually come by. A few minutes later, Liliya had appeared, leading Hermione and Neville behind her. On the way back, Hermione had told me, " _She's awfully smart, you know. She led us straight to you. It's like she knew exactly where to find you."_

 _It's like she knew exactly where to find you._

"That's it," I whisper, turning around. Liliya is curled up behind me, gnawing on a stick. "Lils." Her ears prick up. "C'mere, girl." She clambers to her feet, coming over to sit next to me.

I take a deep breath. "Liliya."

Inna looks at Esfir in confusion, and then back to me. "What?"

I swallow and continue. "Liliya … she has an uncanny knack for finding me when I'm lost." I give her a quick scratch behind her ears. "If she stays here with y-"

Vikenti, Feliks, and Esfir all start talking over me. I wave my hand. "Listen. Listen!" They fall silent. "If she stays here with you, she'll be able to help you find me again."

"Sophya, Liliya belongs with _you!"_ Feliks starts to protest.

"She'll come back to me," I promise. "But … _this_ is her part to play. Do you trust me?"

Feliks and Inna exchange a worried look. Esfir bites her lip.

"I do." Vikenti leans forward. "We'll take good care of her, Sophya."

"But, Vikenti-" Esfir starts. He shakes his head.

"Sophya's right."

I give Liliya a quick kiss on the top of her head. "I love you, Lils. I'll see you again tomorrow; I promise." She licks my face.

"C'mere, Liliya." Vikenti leans forward as she goes over to him.

"Sophy?" Luna tugs my sleeve. "What's going on?"

I take a deep breath, turning to her. "Liliya's staying here."

" _What?"_

"In the case that … that it isn't the outcropping," I say vaguely. "She'll be able to find us."

Nico and Luna exchange a look. "If you're sure," he says slowly.

"I am." I get to my feet; the others follow. "I'll see all of you tomorrow," I promise, giving Inna a quick hug.

"We'll be there," Esfir says, leaning down to give me another.

"We'll miss you," Feliks tells me.

"It'll only be a day," I say with a small laugh.

"Still."

I crouch down to give Liliya one last scratch behind the ears. She whimpers softly, as if she knows exactly what's going on.

"I'll come back," I promise her softly. She yaps.

"Ready?" Nico asks, picking up my bag for me.

I nod.

"What do we do?" Luna asks. "Do we just…"

"We break it," I say, pulling the adamantine out of my pocket. The crystal glitters in the setting sun.

"Do we have to stab it," Nico asks from my other side, "or do we just…"

I squeeze the crystal, _hard._ It crumbles to pieces in my fist.

I reach for Luna's hand; she slips it into mine. I grab Nico's jacket sleeve in my other hand. The world around us is already starting to turn foggy.

"I'll see you again tomorrow!" I call one last time. "I promise!"

Liliya whimpers as the world around us dissolves into foggy whiteness.


	13. Chapter Twelve

Disclaimer: All characters, settings, or other story components taken from the Harry Potter, Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Heroes of Olympus, or Trials of Apollo series belong to J.K. Rowling and Rick Riordan, respectively. I do not own any of the aforementioned. I do not intend to use this story commercially.

A/N: Hi! I'm so sorry to be getting this chapter out so late. Thanks to vacation and other activities, I haven't had much time to work on it. However, I have gotten a lot done today, so I should be getting the next couple of chapters out really soon! Thank you so much for reading!

* * *

The dense, white fog ripples around us, clinging to our clothing and hair. Everything is quiet, save for the sound of our breathing. The silence is soothing. I let myself relax, taking a deep breath.

The air smells like the sea.

Luna lets go of my hand. "We're here."

Releasing Nico's sleeve, I open my eyes.

We're standing on the lawn in front of the Big House, facing the strawberry fields. The sun is almost directly above us. I shade my eyes with one hand, scanning our surroundings. With the exception of a few satyrs walking amongst the strawberries, the camp is empty. _Everyone must still be inside the Big House._ Luna touches my arm. "Sophy?"

I turn to her. "Yeah?"

She points behind me. "What's _that?"_

I glance over my shoulder. On the hills behind us sits a towering ivory statue of a goddess with a golden dress and an enormous shield In the bright sunlight, the statue is almost blinding. I turn back quickly.

"That's … that's, oh, the whatchamacallit. The Athena Parthenos."

Nico glances over his shoulder and back at me. "How did you know that?"

I absentmindedly scratch my arm. "Annabeth."

"Not the _statue,"_ Luna says, pointing again. " _Look !"_

I turn again, this time bringing up a hand to block the sun. After a moment, I start to laugh.

"What is it?" Nico has both hands shielding his eyes. In a second, he gasps. "Oh, they _didn't!"_

"Well," I say, "I did ask for a big net."

Huge coils of gold rope are piled by the foot of the statue. Several of them stretch up and over its shoulders and head. Campers, dwarfed against the towering figure, are climbing between and on the ropes, pulling them into a giant weave. As we watch, the end of one rope starts to rise into the air; Harry and Ron, wands raised, are perched on the statue's outstretched arm.

"What are they _thinking?!"_ Nico bursts, waving his hands. "That - that's a powerful, symbolic statue! They - they can't just use it to _make a giant net!"_

"Why not?" Luna asks, tucking her hair behind her ears. "She _is_ the goddess of weaving, isn't she? And the statue _is_ the right size."

"That - that's not," Nico splutters, "there's-"

"There's not much we can do about it now," I finish. "And besides, I seriously doubt they would be up there if it wasn't okay. _Some_ of them must have common sense, right?"

"You'd be surprised." With a sigh, he turns back toward the Big House. "Anyway, you're right. There isn't much we can do. C'mon."

I follow him. Luna lingers for a moment, watching the campers secure the new rope, before she turns to catch up.

"That rope they're using is far to shiny," she informs us as she falls into step beside me. "It'll attract Nargles."

Nico turns, looking confused, but we're saved from explaining when the door to the Big House opens ahead of us.

A trio of girls step out first, their arms full of scrolls of paper. They quickly disappear around one side of the house, followed by a pair of boys with even more scrolls. After them comes Neville, arms empty. He glances after the campers, and then turns the opposite way.

None of them notice us.

"Neville!" I call, waving an arm. He continues on his way; he didn't hear me. "Oi! NEVILLE!"

He stops, turning to scan the lawn behind him. I wave again, starting toward him. "Hey!"

This time he turns all the way around, spotting us on the front lawn. His eyes light up.

"Sophy!" He hurries around the side of the house. Stopping for a moment, he pulls open the door and calls inside, " _They're back!"_ Letting the door bang shut, he starts down the front steps toward us.

"You're back!" He falls into step beside us. "Where _were_ you?"

"What do you mean?" I frown, tucking a strand of hair behind one ear. "We've only been in Russia."

"I know _that_. But you sent us that message thingie almost an _hour_ ago. We were starting to worry that something had happened to you." He nods toward the Big House. "Annabeth and the others were about to message you again."

"We're fine," I say, taking my bag from Nico and swinging it over one shoulder. "We were going to come back sooner, but-" I smile- "we ran into some of my old friends."

"Really?" He turns back to me. "That's awesome! How are they?"

"They're doing well! Except … Alik … he isn't with them anymore. But everyone else is fine."

Neville looks confused for a moment, but then his eyes widen and his lips move in a silent _oh._

"They were nice," Luna adds.

"Very friendly." Nico's eyebrows crease. "At least they seemed very friendly. They were very - um - Russian, I guess."

"Oh!" I turn to him and Luna, eyes wide. "I'm so sorry; I should've translated more-"

"It's fine," Luna says, waving a hand. "We didn't mind."

"We told them about everything," I say suddenly, turning back to Neville. "About Hogwarts, and camp, and all."

Neville shrugs. "I mean, I don't mind." He reaches for the door handle, and then turns back to me suddenly, frowning. "Hang on. Where's Liliya?"

A lump rises in my throat. I hunch my shoulders slightly. " _Oh._ She - she's in Russia."

His eyes widen. "You _left_ her there?!"

"Not - not like that!" I hold up my hands. "She's with my friends. She's fine."

"But _why_ did you _leave_ here there?!" He reaches for the door handle.

I sigh. "It's complicated. It's-"

"It's part of your plan, isn't it?" Neville holds the door open. "You're going to have to explain that soon, you know. We've been waiting for you to get back so you could tell us what's going on." He follows me inside. "Some of the campers have been getting _really_ impatient."

He lets the door close behind us. The front hall is cool and dim; I blink, waiting for my eyes to adjust. Luna sighs, stretching her arms above her head.

"Hey!"

We turn. Two girls are coming in the front door. One still has a scroll in her arms.

"You're back!" says the second girl, letting the door bang shut behind her. "I'm Holly, and this is Laurel. We're from Cabin 17."

"Nice to meet you," I say, adjusting the strap on my bag.

"We were just talking with Will." The first girl - Laurel - gestures over her shoulder toward the porch. "He was just telling us about what you told them in the Iris-message you sent." She pauses.

"And?" I prompt. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Neville mouth, _I told you so!_

The twins share a glance. After a moment, Holly blurts out, "And are you _actually_ going to try to get taken so you can trap the Watchman in a giant net?"

I blink at her. "Er, yes," I say after a moment's pause. "I am. Why?"

They share a glance. Laurel actually looks fairly alarmed.

"It's just that there are _so_ many things that could go wrong-" Holly starts.

"Are you _sure_ that you've thought this out-" Laurel begins at the same time. They both stop and blink at each other.

"Ah, yes, actually." I brush my hair out of my face. "I have thought it all out. Which is why my plan is a _tad_ more detailed than _try to get taken so I can trap the Watchman in a giant net."_

The twins look at each other again, and then back at me. "So?" Holly says expectantly.

"So, what?"

"So, what _is_ your _oh-so-detailed_ plan?" Laurel folds her arms over her chest.

I sigh, shifting my weight onto my other leg. "If I tell you _now,_ you'll go off and tell your friends, and they'll tell theirs, and eventually I'll have everyone coming up to me and asking more questions. So." I tuck a stubborn strand of hair behind one ear. "Go spread the word to meet me in the assembly room. In, oh," I check my watch. "Fifteen minutes. Tell everyone that I'm going to explain what's going on then."

"Right." Holly tucks her scroll under her arm, reaching for the door. "See you in fifteen minutes!"

"Race you!"

The door bangs shut behind them.

"That was fast," Luna notes, watching the girls sprint across the lawn.

Nico shrugs. "They're daughters of Nike." He turns to me. "Fifteen minutes, right? I'll go spread the word." He disappears down one of the hallways. Luna gives me a smile and starts up the stairs, presumably to find Hermione.

"You were right." I turn to Neville, who puts an arm around my shoulders.

He laughs, giving my shoulders a squeeze. "I _told_ you so."

I roll my eyes. "Don't you start." I point down one of the other hallways. "Shall we?"

We start down an unfamiliar hallway. After a few turns, I still don't recognize anything.

"The Big House can't _possibly_ be this big," I say, turning to look down a new hallway.

"It might be larger on the inside." Neville opens the door to an empty room and shuts it again. "Do you have any idea where we are?"

I look both ways down the hallway. "Um. I think the kitchens are this way. Didn't you say Annabeth was going there to Iris-message me?"

"That's what she said."

"Right. Let's give it a shot." I start in the new direction. He walks faster to catch up to me.

"So, this plan of yours." He falls into step beside me. "You're confident it'll work?"

I take a deep breath. "I am." I think of the campers climbing on the statue, of the pictures in the box, of Liliya's whimpers as we disappeared. I set my jaw. "Trust me."


	14. Chapter Thirteen

Disclaimer: All characters, settings, or other story components taken from the Harry Potter, Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Heroes of Olympus, or Trials of Apollo series belong to J.K. Rowling and Rick Riordan. I do not own any of the aforementioned. I do not intend to use this story commercially.

A/N: Yay! Two chapters in one day! This chapter is short, but it makes more sense to split it like this. With a little bit of luck, I will get the next chapter out today, too! Please read and review!

* * *

"You know, I used to _hate_ group hikes," Leo remarks from beside me. "But none of them were at _all_ like this."

I laugh, pushing a branch out of our way. "I'll say."

We're near the front of a long chain of campers walking through the woods. Just ahead are Piper and Hermione, deep in conversation. In front of them are Percy and Frank, and Annabeth, Nico, and Hazel are in the very lead. I've asked them to retrace the steps they took when they were fighting the hellhound.

"I think we were going a little more to the left!" Leo calls, hands cupped around his mouth.

"Were we?" Percy asks, looking around at the trees. They stop, clustering together to discuss which way to go. Leo jogs ahead to join them.

I turn, watching as the campers behind us come to a stop. Right behind me, Luna is chattering about something to Will Solace, who looks mildly interested. Behind them, a couple of campers from the Hecate cabin are arguing about something with Harry, Ron, and Neville. They're followed by a clump of kids from the Hephaestus cabin who are carrying the net. Behind them are the campers from the Hypnos cabin and the others that volunteered to come, including a group of demigods who, according to Leo, came with Frank and Hazel from the Roman camp in California.

"Sophy!" Annabeth calls, waving an arm. I start and turn. "We're going again!" She and Hazel drop back a bit to walk with the other girls, and I jog a bit to join them.

"Are you sure we should be taking this many people?" Annabeth asks as I catch up.

I let out a breath. "Yes," I say, turning with her to watch the campers behind us. "I don't think the Watchman can transport enormous groups like this. Otherwise, he would've done all _sorts_ of things to cause major problems."

"Hang on." Hazel turns to me, a finger raised. "You said that the Watchman could transport people over space _and_ time, yes?"

"Yes," I echo.

"So, why hasn't he transported any of _us_ over time yet? Why only over space? He could've practically _decimated_ us that way, but he hasn't."

I pause, stumped. Hermione and Annabeth exchange baffled expressions. Piper's forehead creases in thought.

Suddenly, it hits me. I inhale sharply.

"Hermione." I turn to her. "What would you have thought if you'd seen the hellhound in the Forbidden Forest without any explanation? Or if you'd ended up at camp and I hadn't found you?" I turn to look at Annabeth, Piper, and Hazel, who are starting to look stunned. "Or if you'd ended up at Hogwarts with no explanation as to how you'd gotten there?"

There's a brief pause.

"If everything had happened right," Hermione says in a tiny voice, "the Watchman could've started a war."

We walk in silence for a moment.

Annabeth is the first to start talking. "If the Watchman decided just make all heroes vanish, the gods would be alerted to something wrong. But with a _war_ on our hands, no one would be paying attention to whatever the Watchman would be doing."

"Gods," Hazel murmurs, pushing a strand of hair out of her face.

"That's actually really clever," Piper remarks. "I mean, he's evil. But it's clever."

"Hey!" Leo calls from up ahead. I look up. The boys have come to a complete stop a ways ahead of us. We hurry to catch up.

"Check it out," Leo says, grinning like a maniac. We come up beside him and stop.

A trail of broken branches and trampled undergrowth cuts across our path. Above my head, a couple of silver arrows are buried in a branch, and a few trees to our right are scored with claw marks.

"We found it!" Annabeth says, brushing the hair out of her face. Frank and Hazel high-five.

I step out into the middle of the path, looking both ways. _They must have come through here fighting the monster,_ I reason.

"Which way?" I ask, turning back to the others.

Percy points to the right. "That way."

We start again. The signs of battle are clear as we walk along: silver arrows, claw marks on trees. One branch has a shard of what looks like gold buried in it. Behind us, the campers are beginning to fall silent.

"Here we are," Percy says.

We've come to a clearing disconcertingly similar to the one in the Forbidden Forest. The middle is empty, save for a couple of trampled shrubs and one fallen log.

Campers are coming into the clearing from behind us. The group of Hecate campers brush past me, still arguing with Harry, Ron, and Neville. Hermione rolls her eyes and hurries to join them. On the other side of the clearing, the Hephaestus campers have set down the net.

"That's everyone," Hazel says as the Roman campers file past me.

"Right." I push past a couple of Hypnos campers, making my way to the other side of the clearing. Hermione has broken up the argument; the Hecate and Hephaestus campers have started to spread out the enormous net. A couple of them have already backed up to the trees.

"Tie that end there to that branch behind you!" I call, edging around Harry and Ron. "Sorry, sorry." I squeeze past two Hecate girls. "Try to tie the ends about," I hold my hand up at my chest height, "this high. Yes, that branch there would work."

The other campers have found spots along the edge of the net. As the campers on my side tie their ends off to trees and branches, they go around the clearing to help. The middle of the net has already begun to drag on the ground.

"Hermione!" I wave my arm. "We need to charm it up! _Hermione!"_

" _What?"_

"We need to charm it!" I point at the center of the net. She nods, drawing her wand. A couple of the campers yelp when the dead center of the net starts to rise up into the air, lifting off of the forest floor. She ducks into the dome and I follow, helping her cast charms to secure it to the highest branches.

"That's it," Annabeth says from behind me. I turn. The campers have finished securing the net; it sits above the clearing like an enormous golden dome.

I check my watch and almost curse. "It's noon. Thalia and Jason and the others will be ready. We need to hurry."

"We need to hide, right?" She starts across the clearing toward some of the Hecate campers. "Start hiding the net!"

I turn the opposite way, winding my way through the campers. Above us, the net is starting to fade out, turning the color of the treetops and the sky. The dome is starting to clear; demigods are ducking under the edge of the net to hide in the surrounding trees. I start toward the center of the clearing.

"I'm ready when you are," Nico's voice comes from behind me.

"Alri-"

"Not quite yet!" A girl calls from opposite him.

I rock on the balls of my feet, alone in the empty clearing. It's disconcerting, knowing that I'm surrounded by my friends, but not being able to see anyone. I wish Liliya were here.

"Okay!" she calls again. "We're all hidden.

I take a deep breath, lifting up my chin. "Right."

 _I'm the one you want, aren't I?_ I try to broadcast my thoughts out, out so the Watchman can hear. _Not the one that you want, but I'm the one standing in your way._ My eyes narrow. I can feel sparks dancing at my fingertips. _So, what are you waiting for?_ The silence hangs like fragile glass. _I'm right here._

The air is completely still.

The faintest shadows start to pool around my ankles, little wisps of blackness clinging to my boots.

All of the sounds of the forest have quieted completely.

My vision darkens the faintest bit, and then again. The faint shadows have reached my knees.

Somewhere in the woods, a bird chirps.

My vision is fading into shadows.

Panic climbs into my throat. _Nico? Nico?!_

The shadows at my feet harden, suddenly, jerking me back into the clearing. Out of my peripheral vision, I can just see Nico, his forehead creased, concentrating hard.

The shadows soften, then freeze, then soften again. In front of me, the faintest of shadows have began to take on form: a tall figure, one hand outstretched toward me.

Nico thrusts out his hand in the same gesture.

An enormous, echoing, _crack!_ echoes through the forest. My vision tears; I'm suddenly seeing _three_ forests, the images laid atop one another. The shadows darken, coalescing into a corporeal figure.

Everything suddenly blurs, and I'm dropped into a sea of memories.


	15. Chapter Fourteen

Disclaimer: All characters, settings, or other story components taken from the Harry Potter, Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Heroes of Olympus, or Trials of Apollo series belong to J.K. Rowling and Rick Riordan, respectively. I do not own any of the aforementioned. I do not intend to use this story commercially.

A/N: Hello _again!_ This chapter is extremely short, but again, it makes more sense to split it this way. I will try to get the next chapter out today, too, but it might take a little bit longer. Please read and review!

* * *

Memories flicker, in and out, like a butterfly's wings.

First comes Mama, smiling at me from the shadows in our home.

 _You are a princess. Words and kindness are your sharpest weapons. You are destined for great things._

Memory after memory.

Face after face.

Мама and Feliks and Vikenti. Inna and Esfir. Alik with his huge grey eyes. Liliya, her muddy paws on my shirt.

I let go of them all.

I can't run.

But I can fly.

I can fight.

But I don't.

I greet you like an old friend; an equal; a comrade in arms.

You are mine.

I am yours.

I am a princess, and this is my destiny.

Next come Amelié and Matt, smiling and young.

 _They don't speak. They don't need to. I have never let them weigh me down._

Friend after friend.

Harry, dangling off of a set of monkey bars. _Look at what I can do!_

Neville, holding a spoonful of mashed potatoes. _We're here. We actually made it!_

Hermione, sitting on the edge of my bed. _Shh. It's okay. It was just a nightmare. They can't hurt you anymore._

Ron, throwing snowballs one Christmas. _My mum made you a Weasley jumper; you're part of the family now!_

Luna, giving me a special smile. _Don't worry. I believe in you._

Look at what I can do.

Look at what I've become.

 _They can't hurt you anymore._

I won't let them hurt me anymore.

I am part of the family.

I am part of them.

They are part of me.

Rachel, holding her cup of coffee. _Come with me._

Thalia _. If you ever, ever disappear like that again..._

Nico, gazing up at the forest. _I think it's amazing._

You're coming with me.

You are part of me.

I am a princess.

I accept you.

I accept my past.

I accept my destiny.

* * *

I breathe in.

My mind is free, loose, light, as if a weight I never noticed has disappeared.

I'm free.

The memories are gone. No. They're not gone. They're part of me; making me stronger rather than pulling me down.

 _I am a princess, and this is my destiny._


	16. Chapter Fifteen

Disclaimer: All characters, settings, or other story components taken from the Harry Potter, Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Heroes of Olympus, or Trials of Apollo series belong to J.K. Rowling and Rick Riordan, respectively. I do not own any of the aforementioned. I do not intend to use this story commercially.

A/N: Hello! It's been _far, far_ too long since I last uploaded. I'm so sorry. I plan to get the end of the story published (actually, this time) by next weekend. My writing style may have changed slightly in the past year; sorry about that, too. Please read and review!

* * *

A piercing howl shatters my twilight of memories.

My eyes fly open.

The forest is suddenly alive again, the air crackling with energy as the Mist hiding the golden net burns away. Campers are flooding into the clearing. Thalia and Jason appear, too, ducking under the net as if ducking out of thin air. I hear another howl, and Liliya bursts into the clearing. My friends follow a split second later.

"Liliya! Lils, you're back," I laugh.

"Sophy!" Esfir pats my shoulder.

"They're here," Neville says. "Your net worked. Everything's going according to … to …"

I follow his gaze, turning on my heel.

The pillar of shadows is almost as tall as the treetops. As we watch, it shudders, ripples, and begins to fade away. I see glimpses of an arm, the hilt of a sword, a Greek chiton. _The Watchman._

Murmurs are spreading through the crowd, quick as lightning. A Hecate camper buries her face in her girlfriend's shoulder. Feliks blinks.

The Watchman straightens. He's enormous, easily taller than Hagrid or Grawp. I squint, but his face remains shadowed and blurred, like smeared ink.

Next to me, Inna shudders.

The Watchman turns, surveying the teens before him. The last shadows pool around his ankles.

"Exciting," someone says dryly.

The Watchman turns toward the noise. His lips curling in a snarl, he thrusts out a hand. A ripple slices the air. I blink.

"He's trying to transport us," Hermione murmurs. "Can he?"

Another ripple. This time, the air flickers.

"I'm not waiting to find out." I take a deep breath. "Hey. _Hey!_ "

The Watchman stops. His hand is outstretched, but a third ripple doesn't come.

"Ah. Little Sophya." His voice is deep, reverberating around the net. "I-"

"Don't _Little Sophya_ me." I cross my arms. "You don't _get_ to talk now. It's my turn. You've caused enough trouble for us, our friends-"

"Our family!" a camper calls.

"Our family, and our lives. Revenge we can understand, maybe. Trying to end the world? Trying to bring chaos? That's too far. _You_ made yourself into our enemy. This has gone for far too long. That's-"

"That's enough," the Watchman snarls.

"Exactly." I straighten. "Now!"

Across the clearing, a Hypnos camper raises a hand. Her cabinmates follow. The air grows murky, imperceptibly warped. Milky-white droplets form in the air, suspended from nothing. I stifle a yawn.

"Wha-?" Esfir blinks, then rubs her eyes. "I'm _tired._ "

"Why is it affecting us, too?" Hermione looks at me, mildly panicked.

"I don't know." I rub my forehead. "At least we know it's working."

"Well, it isn't working fast enough."

The Watchman raises his hand again. His motions are slower, sluggish, but another ripple spreads through the air.

"Should we help with magic?" Neville asks. He pokes a white droplet, and it disappears, soaked into his finger. He yawns.

"Stop that!" I pull his wrist back down - and freeze, alert. "Wait." I drop his arm. A yawn builds up. I grab his hand. "Do you feel that?"

"What, awake?" We blink at each other for a moment. He spins, taking Hermione's arm.

"Hey! What - _oh._ "

"Grab Luna's hand," I call. "Contact keeps us awake. Pass it on." I turn to Inna and Esfir, telling them the same.

Around the clearing, campers are joining hands with few complaints. A couple people trade places. People straighten, exhaustion receding. The Hypnos campers link elbows with their neighbors, hands still raised. I nudge Liliya with my foot, brushing my bare ankle against her side.

The Watchman's eyes narrow. He stifles a yawn. As he begins to fade, Nico's hand shoots out; the pooling shadows stiffen, keeping the Watchman here.

"I can't hold him for long," Nico hisses from across the clearing. " _Do_ something."

I clench my jaw. _What can I_ do _? All the Hypnos campers are trying their hardest. We've made it this far. What else, what_ else …

My gaze drops as a blade of grass absorbs a white tendril of sleep.

 _That's it._

I link my elbow with Neville's, freeing one hand. My fingers pause at my pistol, then my wand. I grab a knife instead.

"What are you _doing_?" Neville demands. I ignore him, holding up the knife. It's small, but it's enough. I poke the tip at a floating droplet. The knife absorbs it like a sponge.

"Grab my wrist," I say, unlinking our arms. I stretch up, reaching a few tendrils. The bronze of the knife is getting a strange, almost pale, sheen.

A sharp laugh cuts through the clearing, making me jump. The Watchman is reaching for his sword.

"Silly girl. What makes you think you can stop me? I am ancient, a master of time itself, I am-"

I wind my arm back and take aim.

 _I'm not ancient. I'm not a master of much. Maybe my plans aren't perfect. Maybe I can't even shoot a gun._

 _But I can certainly throw a knife._

My knife hits the Watchman in the forehead. For one brief moment, his face comes into focus: sharp features, a thin mouth, glittering black eyes.

Then, cracks spread across his face, his arms. His eyes roll back. Campers shriek and scramble away as the Watchman begins to tilt. He falls, slowly, as if fainting, crumbling and melting into milky-white sleep. The last drops of the Watchman splatter as they hit the ground, already soaking away with a faint sigh.

Annabeth lowers her arm. Someone sits down. I let out my breath.

Liliya gives her happy bark.

"We did it," Luna says serenely.

"We did it!" someone else calls.

I laugh, and suddenly, the silence is broken. People are moving, starting to talk. Someone cheers. I kneel to hug Liliya.

"Your plan worked!" Vikenti kneels beside me. "We won!"

"We did," I say, laughing. "We did, we did!"


	17. Chapter Sixteen

Disclaimer: All characters, settings, or other story components taken from the Harry Potter, Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Heroes of Olympus, or Trials of Apollo series belong to J.K. Rowling and Rick Riordan, respectively. I do not own any of the aforementioned. I do not intend to use this story commercially.

A/N: Wow! This is the last chapter to _The Worlds Before Us_. This has been an amazing experience, both writing and getting to show my work to you. I'm trying to decide whether or not to post an epilogue; if I do, it will be up by next weekend. I may also post a longer, separate author's note. Thank you so much for reading my work; this means so much to me. Please read and review!

* * *

The clearing slowly comes to life again. People are dropping hands, moving to their friends. Liliya licks my face. Someone begins to laugh.

"Nice throw," Neville says, stunned.

"Thanks." I stand up. "I - wow. I can't believe that worked!"

To our right, Will is moving along the line of campers, exchanging a few words. After a moment, he makes his way to us.

"Everyone here ok?" Will pauses to scratch Liliya behind her ear.

"We're fine," Neville says, Luna nodding.

"Vikenti, are all of you alright?" I ask in Russian. He nods. "None of us are hurt, Will."

"Good, good."

He moves on, then pauses by a pair of exhausted Hypnos campers. A girl sitting next to them has a scraped knee.

"A bunch of Hypnos campers overstretched themselves." Hazel jogs toward Will, Nico at her heels. "And a couple other people are hurt. We should start getting people back to the infirmary."

"Wise as always." Will nods. "Nico, could you take a group?"

Nico shakes his head. "Keeping the Watchman here took all my energy. The fastest thing would be to head straight through the woods."

"We'll work with that." Already, a group of Hypnos campers is forming.

Hazel cups her hands around her mouth. "Hey, everyone!"

The clearing falls silent.

"Anyone who is injured or needs ambrosia, come over here," Will orders. "We're heading back to camp. If anyone else wants to come with, please do."

"I think I might head back," Neville says to me. "I'm curious about the infirmary here."

"I'll come." Luna nods. "They need someone to ward off the Nargles."

"Go ahead. I'll meet you back there."

Nico holds up the edge of the net as campers duck under. A few Hypnos campers pause to thank him, but yawn instead. Once the last of their group files through, he follows.

I give Liliya one last hug and straighten, brushing off my pants. Liliya immediately lopes over to Esfir and Inna for more attention.

Across the clearing, a few campers are gathering, obviously discussing something.

"Sophy?" Annabeth waves me over. "This is where the Watchman fell, isn't it?"

"I think so. Why?"

"Well, all traces of him have vanished, and I don't see any spoils of war, either." She crouches down. "If anything, the grass here is a little more faded, but that's it."

"Spoils of war?"

"Things left behind after monsters vanish, like body parts or their belongings." Annabeth sighs, then stands up. "If there were spoils, we'd know for sure he went to sleep and didn't just vanish."

"But there aren't spoils, so we don't know."

"Exactly."

"Sophy, look."

I turn. Behind us, Harry is kneeling next to something. Ron peers over his shoulder.

"Reckon it's cursed?"

"If it's cursed," I say, "don't touch … it. Woah."

An enormous pendant lies on the ground, nestled between two tree roots. It's shimmering gold and roughly circular, with a strange triangle standing in the middle. Intricate carvings line its circumference.

"It's a sundial," Annabeth says from behind me, kneeling next to Harry. "That, Sophy, is a spoil of war." She carefully picks it up. "He must've had it tucked into his chiton."

"Woah," someone breaths behind me. I turn to see Inna; Esfir and the boys are close behind her. "What is that? Is it a necklace?"

"It's a spoil of war," I say in Russian, stumbling slightly over the words. "The Watchman left it behind when he went to sleep."

"What are you going to do with it?" Feliks asks.

"I don't know. I suppose the camp will put it somewhere."

"Sophy?" Hermione taps my shoulder. "Are these your … your friends?"

"What? Oh, yes! These are my friends from home: Inna, Esfir, Vikenti, and Feliks." Then, in Russian, "This is Hermione, and behind her are Harry and Ron. They're my classmates, like Luna."

"Tell them we're very pleased to meet them," Vikenti offers.

"They're very pleased to meet you," I translate.

"Thank you," Hermione says. "I'm pleased to meet them."

"She's pleased to meet you, too."

"Alright, everyone!" Annabeth calls. The clearing goes silent. Percy bounces by Annabeth's side; Thalia and Jason wind their way to them.

"So." Annabeth takes a big breath. "The Watchman is asleep, which is amazing, but it looks like he left us with -" she waves a hand at the forests beyond the net- "this?"

"Will and everyone just left for camp," a camper points out. "So, we can't really have _moved_ , can we?"

"Jason and I came from Scotland." Thalia crosses her arms. "I can still see some of those trees. If this is still at camp, how did we get here?"

"Sophy's friends came from Russia," Harry adds. "That's another place."

I finish translating to Inna. Then, I call, "It's all three forests!"

Annabeth turns. "What?"

"It's all three forests. _Inna,_ _eto vse tri lesa._ Here, Scotland, and Russia. You can kind of see all three of them, if you squint."

Everyone turns to squint at the woods.

I sigh. "Here. Jason, step outside of the net, like you're going back to camp."

He ducks under the net, then straightens. "Okay?"

"Hermione, do the same thing, but picture Hogwarts."

"Are you sure?"

"Just do it."

She pauses, then does the same thing. "I can still see you under the net, but you're blurry."

"I can't see Hermione anymore," Jason calls from the other side of the clearing. "When she left the net, she vanished."

"I can't see you either," Hermione says.

"Inna," I say in Russian, "step out of the clearing, like Hermione and Jason."

"To Russia?"

"Yep."

As she ducks under the net, both Hermione and Jason gasp.

"She disappeared, too," Jason calls.

"Inna, can you see Hermione or Jason?"

" _Nyet,_ but I can see you."

"Good." In English, "See? Jason's still here, Hermione's in Scotland, and Inna's in Russia. This net, it's like … a bridge. Or a link."

"A rift," Annabeth says. "The Watchman was time _and_ space, right? So, when we forced him here, he made this rift by accident, like a tear in space."

Hermione ducks back under the net. "If I wanted to, could I go to Russia? Just step back out and _be_ there?"

"I guess so. Try it."

She goes to stand next to Inna, who beams at her.

"I can still see you," Inna tells Hermione.

Hermione smiles back. "We're both in Russia," she says, "so I can see you."

They stand there for a moment, obviously not understanding anything the other said.

"You can come back, if you want," I say, first in Russian, then in English.

As they duck back into the clearing, Harry pokes the edge of the net. "It's still staying up, even though this knot is undone," he says. "Hermione, how long does that spell last?"

Hermione cranes her head to look at the top of the net. "It's temporary, so not _that_ long. It should have started to sag by now."

"It might be held up by that rift-bridge-thing, somehow." I spin in a circle, examining the net. "It doesn't look like it's coming down anytime soon."

Feliks crouches to pet Liliya. "Sophya, what are they saying?"

"This net is a rift, or a bridge, between Russia, Scotland, and New York," I say. "When we step out, we can be any of the places. We don't know how long the net will stay up, but it looks pretty secure now."

"Who made the rift?" Esfir asks. "How?"

"We think it was the Watchman. He supposedly had powers over space and time. Liliya, don't eat that leaf."

Feliks tugs the leaf out of Liliya's mouth. "So, you could come from your school to home and right back?"

"I could. You could come to Scotland, too."

Esfir gazes at the blurred forests around us. "It's beautiful, Sophya. It's like all your different worlds laid out before you."

* * *

I open the conference room door. "Good morning, guys."

Inna yawns. "Oh, is it only morning?"

"Oh, the time difference. It's the evening for you, isn't it? Were you up all night?"

"We were up all _day_ ," Feliks mutters.

I laugh. "Alright. Did you get breakfast?"

Esfir nods. "Luna showed us where the kitchen was. She and Hermione just left. I think they were getting your other friends."

"The boys? Yeah, they like to sleep in."

Behind me, Piper opens the door. "Oh, good, you're already here. I called a counselor meeting, so we can sort out, well, yesterday." She smiles at my friends. "Um, hi? _privet_?"

" _Privet_ ," they chorus back.

"Hello, Sophy," Luna says. Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Neville trail after her. "We brought food to share."

"You can set it on the Ping-Pong table," Piper offers. "The other camp counselors will be here in a minute."

A minute later, I'm settled in between Neville and Esfir. Chiron is in his wheelchair at the head of the Ping-Pong table. Campers, some of them half-awake, are sharing breakfast.

"For the first order of business," Chiron says, then pauses. The room slowly falls silent. "Our first order of business," he repeats, "lies with you, Sophy, and your classmates. An owl arrived a few minutes ago, I would assume for you. Argus?"

Argus, the many-eyed man, steps into the doorway, blinking. Tiger perches on his arm.

"Oh, thank you." I lift up an arm for Tiger, who flutters over to me. "It's from Matt and Amelie. I can look at it in a moment."

"Very well." Chiron nods. "Now, as for the net."

"It's between here, Scotland, and Russia," Percy puts in. "From what we can tell, the biggest danger is creatures accidentally coming through."

"We can put charms on it from our end," Hermione suggests. "That way, only people who know about it can find it."

"Perhaps," Chiron says, "we could use those charms from all ends. While such a rift is a blessing, it can also cause trouble."

Hermione nods. "We can put up those charms right away, sir. Right, Harry?"

"Erm, right."

"Very well." Chiron nods. "Now. Sophy, for your friends."

I finish translating to Esfir and turn to him. "Yes? I introduced you last night, right?"

"You did." Then, in Russian. "Children, do you have a home?"

Inna's mouth fall open and Vikenti looks from me to Chiron.

"You speak Russian?" I exclaim.

"I have had some time to learn." He smiles.

"Well …" Feliks pauses. "I mean, sort of. We have a _home_."

"A house?"

"... No."

"We - they - live in the woods," I explain. "The net in Russia is near there."

"I see." Chiron nods. "In light of this, and your connection to Sophy, I will make an exception and offer you a place at camp to stay."

"At camp?" Inna asks.

"We aren't magic, or demigods," Vikenti protests.

"What about Russia?" Esfir whispers.

I beam. "I think it's a marvelous idea." They turn to me in various states of surprise. "You can have a roof over your heads and food to eat. The camp trains people to fight. You could help, like, Esfir could work with archery. And, the net is right here, so you could go back to Russia whenever."

Chiron nods. "I can offer you rooms in the Big House, temporarily. We can discuss long-term accomodations once you get settled in."

"What about …" I pause. "Never mind."

Feliks turns to me. "What?"

"I was thinking … what about my old house?" I take a deep breath. "It's small. It's kind of collapsing. But, if there was some way to .. to shape it up, or to fix it, you could stay there. It's right in those woods. It's, well it's a home."

"But it's _your_ house, Sophya." Inna waves her hands. "It belongs to you!"

"And, if anyone were to fix it up and live there, I'd want it to be you."

"I believe we have campers who could help fix your house, Sophy," Chiron offers. "We would be happy to provide rooms to your friends before then."

"Thank you," I say, smiling. "Thank you so much!"

"Does that sound reasonable?" Chiron asks my friends.

"It sounds wonderful," Esfir says. "Thank you, again."

"Then, it's settled." Chiron nods. "If your rooms from last night worked, you may stay in those."

"I can't believe it," Inna whispers, smiling uncontrollably. "Oh, goodness."

"Argus?" Chiron calls in English. "Please inform Mr. D and the harpies that Miss Sophy's Russian friends will be staying in their current rooms for the time being."

"What?" Hermione turns from her conversation with Harry. Campers look up from their breakfasts.

"The four of them are staying here," I explain. "We're going to fix up my old home in Russia for them to stay."

"Oh, Sophy, that's wonderful," Luna says.

"Staying here?" Clarisse leans forward. "Are they demigods?"

"No," Chiron says, "but we are willing, on occasion, to bend rules."

"Does this mean you'll be staying at camp, too?" Thalia asks.

I tap the letter from Matt and Amelie. "Our parents are worried about us, so we should go back. I can come back to visit, though, as long as the net stays up."

"You better," she says.

"I'll be going to South Yorkshire for the rest of the summer, so I can't visit then. I can come during breaks from school." In Russian, "I can visit you guys on the weekends, and you can come visit me."

"I can't wait," Vikenti says. "I miss you already."

I laugh a bit, then sigh. "I know. Still, it's time to be heading home."

* * *

"Are you sure you have everything?" Will presses.

I sigh and look through my messenger bag one last time. "Yes, I'm sure. Liliya, come here."

"I'll miss you." Thalia gives me a huge hug. "Come back to visit sometime, ok? Iris-message me."

"I will, I will."

"Are you sure you put the charms up?"

"Yes, Neville, I'm _absolutely_ sure." Hermione turns to me. "Sophy, are you ready?"

"Almost." I turn to Vikenti. "You guys know how to get back here?"

He yawns. It's midnight in our part of Russia. "We do. One of those … dryads is coming with us. We'll be fine."

"Good." I give Inna a hug. "Stay safe. Remember, Chiron speaks Russian. Find him if you need anything."

"We will."

Inna, Esfir, Vikenti, and Feliks are heading back to Russia to collect their belongings. They'll work with Chiron and some Hephaestus campers to rebuild my cabin. Annabeth promised she would get some Athena campers to start teaching them English.

"Ready, Inna?" Esfir waves from the edge of the net.

"Coming!" Inna gives me one last, quick hug. "See you, Sophya."

I wave, watching as they duck under the net with Juniper, a dryad. Feliks turns back one last time to wave.

"Our turn." Neville brushes a stray strand of hair out of my eyes. "Ready?"

"Almost." I take one last moment to look at the forests through the net, to look at my worlds. I reach for Neville's hand.

"Come on." I hold the net up for my friends to duck under, Liliya at my side. "Let's go home."


	18. Epilogue

Disclaimer: All characters, settings, and other story components taken from the Harry Potter, Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Heroes of Olympus, or Trials of Apollo series belong to J.K. Rowling and Rick Riordan, respectively. I do not own any of the aforementioned. I do not intend to use this story commercially.

A/N: Wow! This is it! Unless I post a final author's note, this will be the last chapter on here. Thank you all _so_ much for taking the time to read my work. Every single view means so much to me. On another note, this chapter doesn't stick to Trials of Apollo canon. I wrote the original epilogue in 2016, way before those books came out, and I'd prefer not to make *enormous* spoilers by changing certain details. This chapter has some spoilers for the ending of Deathly Hallows. Anyway, thank you so much for reading! Please read and review.

* * *

"Eighteen, Lils! I can hardly believe it."

We're winding through the Forbidden Forest. The June twilight casts long shadows on the ground ahead of us. As I turn, I catch a glimmer of gold through the trees.

I smile.

As the golden net comes fully into view, Liliya barks. We start to run.

I duck inside, breathing in the crisp air. Hermione, every practical, lined the net with permanent sticking charms, wards, and other useful spells. Luna charmed the interior to smell like mint.

"Sophy!"

I spin as Nico steps under the net. "Nico! Hi!"

"Happy birthday!"

I laugh. "Thanks. It's great to see you."

"You, too." He crouches down to pet Liliya. "Hello, princess."

She yaps.

Straightening, he gives me a hug. "I was just coming up to check the net again. Everyone else got here _hours_ ago."

I wince. "Sorry to keep you waiting. I got caught up in helping Hagrid with his new Kneazles."

"No problem. You're the birthday girl; everyone else is just early."

He holds up the edge of the net for Liliya and I. This time, we step into Camp Half-Blood's forest. Liliya pants as the humid, hot breeze blows by. I thank the stars I remembered to wear shorts.

"How does it feel to be eighteen?" Nico asks.

I consider. "A little older? I dunno. Everything's felt _off_ after the war."

He sighs. "Yeah. I know the feeling. Is that why you're still at Hogwarts?"

"Us and everyone else. A lot of people are there. It's taking a while to clean up and sort everything out." I push back my hair. "Honestly, it's great to get away."

"I bet."

"Anyway, how is everyone?" I ask.

He tips his head, thinking. "Frank and Hazel are in New Rome. They say Happy Birthday. Thalia's busy with the hunt, but she sends her love."

"Aww. I'll Iris-message her tonight."

"Camp started a week ago, so I think everyone else showed up then. Your classmates got here an hour ago? ish? Vikenti, Inna, and those guys came from the cabin this morning." He grins. "Will went to wake them up a few minutes ago."

I laugh. "That sounds about right."

"At any rate, they're _so_ excited to see you."

We slow as our path comes to an end. Camp Half-Blood is spread across the valley below us. I see satyrs working in the strawberry fields to our left, and the Athena Parthenos catches the afternoon sun. A pegasus soars over the cabins.

Nico points to the Big House. "Look!"

As we watch, familiar figures spill down the front steps, waving, running up the hill toward us.

I laugh, waving back. A few steps more and I'm flying.

* * *

"You are _here!_ " Esfir gives me a bear hug. "I missed you!"

"Yeah, it feels like _ages_ since we saw you last."  
"Oh, Ron, knock it off." Hermione crouches to pet Liliya. "Happy birthday!"

"Thanks, 'Mione. You've got chocolate on your nose. Don't let Liliya lick it."

She straightens quickly, wiping it with her sleeve. "Sorry."

"How does it feel to be eighteen?" Feliks asks from behind Harry. "Old, yet? Ancient?"

"No, young one," I say in Russian. "I feel normal." Then, in English, "Where's Inna and Vikenti? Or Luna and Neville?"

Feliks and Esfir exchange a look. "They're inside," Esfir says. "They will meet us in the amphitheater later."

Harry touches my arm. "I think Jason's waiting by your cabin."

I look around. "Hold on, Inna isn't in the _kitchen_ , is she? Maybe with Luna and Neville?" I grin. "Do they need _help_ with anything?"

Hermione, now wiping up a bit of flour in her hair, rolls her eyes. " _No_. They don't need help with _anything_." She scowls as I giggle. "Oh, stop. Let's _go_."

* * *

"Here, take some more frosting!" Leo scrapes the flat of the serving knife against my plate, leaving a pile of lemon buttercream.

"We should have cake more often," Luna says. "Strawberry cake on Mondays, and rhubarb cake on Tuesdays."

"Cake does make things better," I agree, leaning my head on Neville's shoulder.

We're sitting on the floor of the amphitheater. The rest of the camp will be coming down for campfire songs in a while, but for now, it's just us.

"This cake is great," Jason says. "Chocolate and lemon taste great together."

Inna smiles. "It was a group effort."

"On another note, can dogs have lemon? Or frosting?" Nico asks.

I glance up sharply. "Did you give her any?"

"No, but I think she wants some."

"I have some dog food in my bag if she's hungry," I say. "Lils is getting older. The less people food, the better."

"We should have made Liliya her own birthday cake!" Leo says. "With, like, peanut butter or something. Does anyone know how to make cake for dogs?"

Everyone glances around. No one does.

"Know what this reminds me of, Seaweed Brain?" Annabeth asks, spearing a bite of cake. "Your sixteenth birthday. Tyson and I made you a cake."

"With the blue frosting," Percy remembers. "Gods, that seems so long ago."

"We celebrated your sixteenth birthday at Hogwarts, right?" Harry asks me.

"That sounds right." I take a bite of cake. "Hey, I didn't even know I was a demigod back then."

"Crazy," Piper murmurs.

"Not as crazy as some things," Ron says dryly.

"It's so peaceful here," Hermione whispers. "I can hear the birds singing."

I take a deep breath, leaning back. Above our heads, the edges of a pink sunset are beginning to touch the clouds. Camp feels irreversibly calm after the ashes and turmoil and _grief_ of the war. The beginnings of the sunset look as yellow as my lemon frosting.

"What are you doing this summer, Sophy?" Inna asks after a moment.

"I'm not sure." I pick at my cake. "I want to spend a few weeks here, and a few weeks in Russia. We're still working on repairing the castle. It'd be nice to get back to the farm."

"Tell them about training," Harry says with a faint smile.

"Oh, _yes_." I nod. "Harry and I were talking to McGonagall last week. She's trying to organize staff and classrooms and dormitories so Hogwarts can open again in September. And, when she hires our next Defense Against the Dark Arts professor -" I grin "- I _might_ , mind you, _might_ be permitted to begin training under them. So, maybe, I can take their place someday. Maybe."

"You'll be training as a teacher?" Annabeth exclaims. "Oh, Sophy, that's great!"

"We haven't had a proper DADA professor in _years_ ," Harry says. "Those kids will finally learn something." He grins at me. " _Maybe_."

"I should talk to McGonagall about training, too," Neville says thoughtfully. "I wouldn't mind shadowing Professor Sprout for Herbology."

"You'd be a fantastic Herbology professor," I tell him.

"Ooh, speaking of plants, Sophya, you _need_ to come visit the cabin tomorrow," Esfir says. "Vikenti and I have been planting new gardens. You will _love_ them."

"Don't tell her too much, or you'll ruin all of our surprises!" Vikenti scolds.

Jason looks up from his conversation with Piper. "What? Surprises? What surprises?"

"Surprises for Sophya at the cabin."

"Plus _other_ surprises," Leo says. "But we're not ready for those yet."

"I think the world could use some more happy surprises," Luna remarks. "Happy surprises always tend to make things a bit more bearable."

"Speaking of surprises, is there any cake left?"

"What does cake have to do with surprises?"  
"Nothing, I just want cake."

I lean back, smiling to myself as my friends slide into jokes and laughter. There's still more cake left, and we each take another small slice. The lemon frosting is just right for the dark, rich chocolate. The sky is all shades of pink and gold. Liliya gives a little doggy yawn and lays her head down on my lap. A soft sea breeze ruffles the trees above us.

For a moment, everything in the tumultuous world is content and still.

For a moment, I can forget the bruises and losses of the war.

For a moment, I can remember to breathe.

Liliya curls up against me. She's older, and more tired, but she's still hanging on.

Neville, sitting next to me, laughs at something Hermione said. They're all tired and grieving from the war, but this summer, everyone's going to make it home.

Across the circle, Jason gives Percy a fist-bump. Camp Half-Blood survived the Watchman, thankfully, but there are always new monsters to fight.

Feliks steals a bit of Inna's cake. They, along with Esfir and Vikenti, have rebuilt my old cabin. It's a real home, now, with a mix of our old belongings and their new ones. They're training at camp. They've learned English. For the first time, I think, they have a real home.

I pull my hair over my shoulder, watching a cloud. I'm eighteen today, against all odds. I still live with Matt and Amelie in South Yorkshire. I still carry my applewood wand and my bronze knife. I still use the golden net in the woods whenever I can.

I'm still me.


End file.
